Korea Deconstructed: Recent Episodes
David Tizzard
Korea Deconstructed is a show that talks to Korean people about Korean issues. It seeks that which is real, authentic, and experienced, often taking place beyond the reach of headline news and geopolitics.
It is hosted by David Tizzard who has lived and worked in Korea for nearly two decades and has a PhD in Korean Studies
Dr. Remco Breuker, one of the world's leading scholars of pre-modern Korea, joins us to explore the Samguk Yusa, a treasure trove of Korean myth, history, and folklore. We dive into the kingdom of Goryeo, its ruling elites, the position of women, the reality of slavery in old Korea, and why this period remains so misunderstood today. From women tigers to creation myths, from royal power struggles to the everyday lives of commoners, and court poets who drink too much, there should be something in here for everyone.
Find Remco and his work online
Vestiges of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea: A Translation of the Samguk yusa : https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/vestiges-of-the-three-kingdoms-of-ancient-korea-a-translation-of-the-samguk-yusa/
Yi Kyubo: https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/not-everything-unfolds-as-anticipated-selections-from-yi-kyubos-tongguk-yi-sangguk-chip/
https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/humanities/institute-for-area-studies/korean-studies
Discussion Outline
0:00 The Samguk Yusa
5:20 The Monk Iryeon
2:20 The Language of Goryeo
18:18 Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism
31:34 The Ruling Family of Goryeo
38:30 The Position of Women
42:10 Slavery in Old Korea
46:50 Translating the Samguk Yusa
1:01:52 The Stories of Samguk Yusa
1:10:45 Yi Gyu-bo
1:15:10 Recommendations
A huge thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody Schuman, Christopher Futter, Andreas Wendtland. You are stars!!
Join Our Patreon Community Here: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
These podcasts are recorded live in Seoul. Big thanks to the studio owner and my friend 한정철: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/
South Korea's first presidents are often remembered as either heroes or villains. But history is rarely that simple. Historian Jihoon Suk joins Korea Deconstructed to explore the country's first five leaders, the social and cultural times they inhabited, and how their legacies continue to shape Korea today.
Jihoon Suk is a historian and PhD candidate at Yonsei University specializing in modern Korean history. His research focuses on Korea's colonial period, particularly how film, radio, and recorded sound shaped Korean culture and ideas of tradition. He has worked with institutions including the Korean Film Archive, the National Museum of Contemporary Korean History, the Seoul Museum of History, and the National Gugak Center.
Find Jihoon and his work online Insta: https://www.instagram.com/idea0853
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jihoon.suk.1
This is his second time on the podcast. Find the first conversation here: https://youtu.be/fjIUd-PiMQI?si=Q6cZUu4oictfmlyb
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
3:27 Syngman Rhee (이승만)
16:00 Francesca Donner
25:22 Park Chung-hee (박정희)
44:30 Yun Poson (윤보선)
51:20 Government Atrocities
54:30 Sasanggye and Chang Chun-ha
1:06:44 Choi Kyu-ha (최규하)
1:12:33 Chun Doo-hwan (전두환)
1:21:00 Purification of Society (사회정화)
1:25:43 Gwangju (광주)
1:33:50 History Deconstructed
A huge thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody Schuman, Christopher Futter, Andreas Wendtland. You are stars!!
Join Our Patreon Community Here: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
These podcasts are recorded live in Seoul. Big thanks to the studio owner and my friend 한정철: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/
When we think of Confucianism in the West, we often box it into a category alongside world religions like Christianity or Buddhism: a neat, systematic philosophy created by a single figure. But as I've learned through my time in Korea and my own deep dives into the tradition, this is a fundamental misnomer that actually obscures the truth. In this episode, we strip away the Western labels to look at what Confucianism—or as it's known in the East, Rujia or Yugyo—actually is. It isn't a religion of divine revelation; it is a scholarly tradition, a social ethic, and a political ideology that prioritizes the lived reality of human relationships. Confucius wasn't a prophet; he was a teacher of humanity who believed that by mastering the art of being human, we don't just improve our own lives, we manifest heaven on earth.
In this episode:
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Why Confucianism doesn't fit the Western "religion" box
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The difference between Rujia, Yugyo, and "Confucianism"
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How Confucian thought shapes Korean society today
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What it means to "master the art of being human"
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Dr. Minsoo Kang is a historian and writer. Currently, he is an associate professor of European intellectual history in the Department of History at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.
Find Minsoo and his work online
Against Han: https://aeon.co/essays/against-han-or-why-koreans-are-not-defined-by-sadness
The Story of Hong Gildong: https://www.amazon.com/Story-Hong-Gildong-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143107690
The Melancholy of Untold History: https://www.amazon.com/Melancholy-Untold-History-Novel/dp/0063337509
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minsoo_Kang
This is his second time on the podcast. Find the first conversation here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=queE_0_mWeo
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
2:35 The Story of Tangun
8:31 The Truth of Tangun
16:00 Important Korean Myths
19:40 The King From Elsewhere
25:08 5,000 Years of Korean Dynasty
32:00 Chinese Influence on Korea
36:19 Confucianism in East Asia
42:05 Asadal
47:30 Wi Man
52:50 Kim Bu Sik
59:16 Korea-China Relations
1:05:20 When Did Koreannes Begin?
1:16:30 Korean Ethnonationalism
1:32:56 North Korea
1:48:05 National Foundation Day and Daejonggyo
1:54:05 The King's Warden Analysis
Timeline of Korean History
Gojoseon 2333 to 108 BCE
Goguryeo 37 BCE to 668 CE
Baekje 18 BCE to 660 CE
Silla 57 BCE to 935 CE (unified the peninsula in 668)
Balhae 668 to 935 CE
Goryeo 918 to 1392 CE
Joseon 1392 to 1897 CE
Korean Empire 1897 to 1910 CE
ROK 1948 – present
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
Who was Ahn Chang-ho, and what is the real legacy of one of Korea's most revered independence activists? In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, we sit down with his grandson, Philip Ahn Cuddy, to explore the human story, the fight against Japanese colonization, and the enduring impact of the Dosan legacy.
Philip Ahn Cuddy served as the founding director of the Korean American Museum in LA and is the administrator of the Dosan Ahn Chang-ho · Susan Ahn Cuddy Archives.
Learn more about the archives and legacy: https://www.dosan.org/
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
2:25 The Lineage
6:50 Dosan Ahn Chang Ho
22:20 The Colonization of Korea
32:00 Journey to America
42:11 The Provisional Government
52:45 The Challenge of Unity
1:15:03 Park Chung Hee
1:17:50 Meeting Korean Presidents
1:20:50 North Korea
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
Colin Marshall is a Seoul-based essayist, broadcaster, and public speaker focusing on cities, language, and culture. Through his Substack newsletter, Books on Cities, he writes long-form essay-reviews exploring those very themes. He is the author of the Korean essay collection "한국 요약 금지" (No Summarizing Korea) and "Korean Newtro: Where Youth Meets Tradition". Additionally, he recently contributed a story to the Seoul-set mystery anthology "그날, 서울에서는 무슨 일이." He currently writes a column for the Korean newspaper 동아일보.
His essays have appeared in a wide range of outlets, including The New Yorker, Guardian Cities, Open Culture, the Times Literary Supplement, and the Los Angeles Review of Books (where he authored the Korea Blog for six years).
Find Him Online
Email: colinjmarshall@gmail.com
Twitter: https://x.com/colinmarshall
Korean Newtro: https://www.amazon.com/Korean-Newtro-Where-Youth-Tradition/dp/156591533X
No Summarizing Korea: https://product.kyobobook.co.kr/detail/S000212263515
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
5:30 Writing in Korean for Koreans
13:05 The Korean Language
17:25 Korean Language and Translation
24:30 Park Chan-wook and Spacelessness
34:35 Korean Newtro Book
46:00 Seeing Korean 촌스러워
56:25 The Dabang
1:05:20 Korean Social Taboos
1:19:10 Consumption of Culture
1:25:45 Advice for Korea
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
How do dragons affect Korean culture, philosophy, and cosmology? I brought my friend Professor David Mason back into the studio to explore the differences between Asian and Western dragons. The "Dragon King's" role in Buddhism, Shamanism, and Taoism. Why East Asian cosmology views the world without a concept of absolute evil. And how these ancient symbols can still offer solutions to modern life. Learn about history, pansori, Korean temples, and the hidden "Tao" behind it all.
The Guest David A. Mason recently retired as a Professor of Korean Cultural Tourism at Kyung Hee & Sejong Universities for 17 years, and is a longtime researcher on the deep religious characteristics of Korea's mountains. Prior to this, he served as a consultant for the national Ministry of Culture and Tourism for five years. Mason earned a Masters' Degree in the History of Korean Religions from Yonsei University in 1997, and was appointed the national Honorary Ambassador of the Baekdu-daegan Ranges in 2011. He has authored and edited ten books on Korean culture and tourism. He is now a tour-guide and public-speaker, based in Seoul. A native of the USA, he has been living in South Korea for 40 years now.
For tours and books, find him online:
mtnwolf@gmail.com
sanshinseon.com
mntnwolf@facebook
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
2:25 Asian Dragons & Western Dragons
8:31 Do Dragons Exist?
17:30 Dragons in Korean Culture
27:40 The Animals of the Zodiac
33:10 The Dragon King in China and Korea
38:44 Dragons in Buddhism and Shamanism
42:05 The Dragon King in Pansori
54:43 No Evil in East Asian Cosmology
57:15 Taoism
1:06:30 Dragons in the Modern World
1:10:55 Life Advice
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen, Cody
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
When you live and work in Korea, it's hard to escape talk around BTS. Their comeback concert in Gwanghwamun generated a huge amount of media attention, both positive and negative. Moreover, the use of traditional elements such as Arirang and Gyeongbuk Palace generated both national pride and a sense of domestic fatigue. I got a group of young adults who have grown up with BTS to talk about their reactions to the showcase, the album, the psychological pressure the group face, and the practice of streaming and fandom in K-pop culture.
I am joined by two young Korean adults, Esha and Namu, as well as two international students living and studying here in Korea, Violet and Alina.
Discussion Outline
0:00 Reacting to the Album
13:48 No. 29 and Korean Philosophy
23:56 The Comeback Concert
46:00 The Psychological Pressure of Being an Idol
55:15 Fan Labour and Streaming
1:07:30 Korean Nationalism and Culture
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
Why do people join cults? The reality is seemingly very complex. In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, I sit down with Peter Daley, a long-term resident of Korea and someone who has spent decades observing and documenting the world of fringe religious movements and cultic groups.
Peter Daley is an Australian who has lived in Korea since 2002. He worked at Keimyung University in Daegu for eight years, teaching English for six years and spending two years working in Keimyung's Office of International Affairs. He has been teaching English at Sookmyung Women's University since 2012.
Find him online: https://peterdaley.net/strangerthings/
https://internationalculticstudies.org/ (ICSA)
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction to Cults
7:00 The Unification Church (통일교)
13:00 Church or Cult?
20:00 Who Do Cults Approach?
23:56 Shincheonji
29:00 Christianity
37:20 Influence in Korean Society
40:55 Aum Shinrikyo
46:50 Former Members of Cults
56:30 Scientology
1:06:00 The Necessity of Empathy
1:11:20 Getting People Out of Cults
1:17:02 Are Cults Getting Bigger or Smaller in Korea?
1:20:10 How to Spot Cults?
1:25:55 Mass Weddings
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
How was North Korea, a state that famously mandates atheism, built on a foundation of Christian fervor? In this episode, I sit down with Jonathan Cheng, the Wall Street Journal's China Bureau Chief, to discuss his new book, Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult.
We trace the journey of Pyongyang from the "Jerusalem of the East" to the center of the world's most rigid cult of personality. From the collapse of the Joseon Dynasty's caste system and the arrival of missionaries like Samuel Moffett to Kim Il Sung's own Christian upbringing, we explore how the linguistic and structural tools of the church were co-opted to create a "God on Earth." We cover the Pyongyang Revival and the "Mystical" texts of early Korean Christianity. How the oppression of the Joseon era made the peninsula fertile ground for a new faith. The "Exodus South" and the influential figures like Cho Man-sik. Why Kim Il Sung remains the most pivotal—and misunderstood—figure in modern Korean history.
The Book: https://koreanmessiah.com/
Find Jonathan onlie
Twitter: @jchengwsj
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cheng-546b703/
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
5:15 The Joseon Dynasty
11:25 The Erasure of Kija
14:45 Christianity's Arrival in Korea
19:25 Samuel Moffett and the Jerusalem of the East
30:00 The Figures of Pyongyang's Church
37:15 Jeonggamnok (정감록, 鄭鑑錄)
43:50 Kim Il Sung's Christian Upbringing
50:00 Cho Man Sik (조만식) - the Gandhi of Korea
56:00 The Legend of Kim Il Sung
59:40 The Christian Exodus South
1:04:25 Cults in Modern Korea
1:16:25 Recommendations
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
What happens when you take the wrong camera to a Day6 K-pop concert? In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, we explore the recent "SEAbling War". Discussing viral memes to deeply uncomfortable conversations about race and history, our four guests demonstrate why this is about much more than just social media comments. For them, it's also a lived experience and connected to their own identity as individuals bridging multiple cultures.
The Guests
1) Gabby https://www.instagram.com/gabrielaimanuels/
2) Yelynn
3) Dabin https://www.instagram.com/dabinnjung
4) Nuri https://www.instagram.com/nurichoii/
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
3:25 What Happened at the Day6 Concert?
7:30 The SEAblings Internet War Begins
11:27 Nouveau-riche Nationalism
15:30 Lived Experience in Korea
19:15 The Influence of Media: Racket Boys (라켓소년단)
23:50 Online Behavior
33:58 Indonesian Culture in Korea
53:50 Looking Forward
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert, Daniela Körppen
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
What does it mean to be queer in a society often defined by its rigid traditions, colonial scars, and rapid neoliberal transformation? In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, we sit down with Dr. Samuel Perry from Brown University to challenge the common misconception that LGBT issues are a "new" or "Western" import to the Korean peninsula.
Through his new anthology, A Century of Queer Korean Fiction, Dr. Perry reveals a long-standing tradition of diverse sexualities and gender expressions that have navigated censorship, war, and dictatorship for over a hundred years. We explore the coding of literature during oppressive eras, the dangers of using Western yardsticks to measure Korean resistance, and how the rise of neoliberalism has impacted social visibility versus true acceptance. From figures like Yi Gwangsu to the gritty, three-dimensional characters of modern writers like Sang Young Park, we explore a literary history that is as complex but, at the same time, beautiful.
About the Guest: Samuel Perry is an Associate Professor of East Asian Studies at Brown University. A specialist in Japanese and Korean history, culture, and literature, he is the author of Recasting Red Culture in Proletarian Japan: Childhood, Korea, and the Historical Avant-garde. His most recent work includes the dual-language anthologies A Century of Queer Korean Fiction and 한국의 퀴어 문학: 한 세기 (2023).
Public Profiles
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emersonius/
Publications: https://sites.brown.edu/samuelperry/publications/
Brown Profile: https://vivo.brown.edu/display/sperry
Find the book here: https://mngbookshop.co.uk/9781603296274/a-century-of-queer-korean-fiction/
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
7:00 Queer Issues are Not Modern
13:30 Yi Kwangsu and Colonial Queerness
18:30 Does Modernity Oppress Queerness?
25:00 What is Korean Literature?
31:00 Sang Young Park
44:00 Yi Seoyoung
48:00 Changing Language
54:00 The Future of Queer Literature
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
What happens when a democracy is pushed to the brink? In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Ben Engel to explore the outrageous martial law declaration, the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, the life sentence, and the rise of the far-right in South Korea. We also explore the powerful concept of Min-sim (민심) and how ethno-nationalism is reshaping the country's democratic future.
About the Guest: Benjamin Engel is an assistant professor of Korean Studies at Dankook University. He received his Ph.D. and Master's in International Studies from the Graduate School of International Studies, Seoul National University. He previously worked as a research professor at the Institute of International Affairs at Seoul National University and as a researcher at the Institute of Peace and Unification Studies and at the East Asia Institute. His recent academic publications include "Koreagate Revisited: ROK Government Lobbying on the Human Rights Issue" in Cold War History (2024) and "Making Amends: U.S. Public Diplomacy Efforts in the late 1980s to Address the Gwangju Democracy Movement" in Korea Journal (2024). Additionally, he has written several articles linking history to current affairs and analyses of US-ROK relations in various publications including East Asia Forum, The Diplomat, and Korea Pro and has been quoted in various media outlets including the Washington Post, Financial Times, and Korean Herald. Originally from United States and a graduate of the University of Missouri, he has been living and researching in South Korea since 2010.
Public Profiles
https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-engel-73178443/
https://bsky.app/profile/benjaminaengel.bsky.social
Discussion Outline
0:00 Explaining What Happened
5:00 How Dangerous Was It?
7:10 Why Did Yoon Do It?
11:40 Sentencing the President
16:40 Explaining Minsim
23:10 Ideology in Korea
27:25 Ethnonationalism in Korea
33:00 Gender and Demographics
37:00 Assessing Lee Jae Myung
43:00 Democratic Lessons for the US
47:15 Korean Culture
51:40 How Did Korea Become Democratic?
58:15 Recommendations
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
Episode Summary:
What defines a neighborhood? In this episode, we are joined by Mi-young Kim, a writer and essayist who has written about the unique culture and practices of Itaewon in Seoul. We dive into her latest book, Itaewon Is My Home (이태원에 삽니다), and explore how "place" shapes our sense of self.
About the Guest:
Mi-young Kim is an essayist and the Korean Director of the International Comedy Association. Having majored in Philosophy and Arts Management, Mi-young explores the intersections of identity and place. She is the author of the essay Bellefleur's Dream and her newest work, Itaewon Is My Home (이태원에 삽니다). Beyond her writing, Mi-young leads a community of creators through writing groups focused on self-discovery and healing.
Miyoung's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellefleur_de_france/
이태원에 삽니다: https://www.yes24.com/product/goods/172736056
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
2:30 Who is Kim Mi-young?
10:55 Moving to Itaewon
28:54 Being a Writer
33:22 Meditation
39:00 Discovering the Self
48:10 The Importance of the Book
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades.
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
Anthony Curtis Adler is professor of German and Comparative Literature at Yonsei University's Underwood International College, where he has taught since 2006. His present research interests span modern and Classical literature, literary theory, continental philosophy, media studies, and German idealism.
Academia : https://yonsei.academia.edu/AnthonyCurtisAdler
Bong Joon Ho book: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/bong-joon-ho-9781350414655/
Celebricities: https://www.amazon.com/Celebricities-Culture-Phenomenology-Commodity-Inventing/dp/0823270807/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0
Discussion Outline
0:00 The Blandness of Face
2:45 Bong Joon Ho's Reputation
9:30 Categorizing Bong's Movies
12:25 Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000)
22:20 Memories of Murder (2003)
41:10 Mother (2009)
48:50 Morality and Anti-Americanism in Bong's Movies
52:50 The Host (2006)
1:01:15 Okja (2017) and Snowpiercer (2013)
1:11:45 Parasite (2019)
1:25:45 Recommendations
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels, Ell, Johnathan Filbert
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, we explore Korean indie music, its culture, artists, and how capitalism and technology is reshaping the K-indie scene. Joined by Zuza Sołtykowska, a Polish writer and academic based in London, we discuss Korean language studies, underground music culture, and the tensions between art, industry, and economic growth.
Zuza is a Polish writer and academic currently based in London. Her work spans Korean indie music, film, and art, with a particular focus on gender, cultural identity, and economic equality.
Find her online https://www.instagram.com/zuzasoltykowska/
https://www.koreanindie.com/author/zuza/
Discussion Outline
0:00 Discovering the Korean Language
7:20 Identity and Being Polish
9:05 Introduction to Korean Indie Music
15:40 Writing and Researching K-Indie
21:20 Capitalism and the Indie Music Industry
33:30 The Growth of Korean Indie Music
40:00 Ideology and Meaning in K-Indie
47:12 Rethinking the Korean Music Industry
51:36 The Beauty of Korean Indie + Artist Recommendations
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Connect with us:
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
What's it really like to study in South Korea? In this episode, I sit down with four exchange students from around the world to talk honestly and openly about their experiences at Korean universities. We cover everything from first impressions and making Korean friends to campus culture, visa challenges, professors, trends, expectations, and the toughest parts of living here as a foreigner.
Dillon
Lia (https://www.instagram.com/lia_nana9/)
Zhaniya
Joana
Topics & Timestamps
0:00 Expectations Before Coming to Korea
10:10 First Impressions
20:00 Interacting with Korean People
30:00 Making Friends in Korea
40:00 Studying in Korea
48:20 Korean Professors
1:07:00 Korean University Campus
1:13:20 Working on a Student Visa
1:21:20 Korean Trends
1:41:15 Hardest Thing About Being a Foreigner
1:56:05 Advice for Studying in Korea
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Music by Jocelyn Clark
Thank you to 한종철 for helping me record this.
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, David Tizzard speaks with Dr. Roald Maliangkay about the forces that shaped modern Korea, its culture, speed, identity, and contradictions. We explore Korea in the 1980s; North Korean pro wrestling; the rise of gossip magazines; the banning of Chinese characters; the manufacturing of Korean heritage; and the origins of Korea's bballi-bballi (빨리빨리) culture. We also dive into folk music, Sino-Korean relations, Korea's global image, and the evolving future of Korean Studies. Roald's work uncovers how cultural narratives are made, forgotten, and reinvented. This is a conversation for anyone interested in Korean history, identity formation, and the cultural mechanics behind modern Korea.
Roald's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Voices-Postcolonial-Entanglements-Preservation/dp/0824866657
Discussion Outline
0:00 Korea in the 1980s
10:30 North Korean Pro Wrestling
17:18 South Korean Gossip Magazines
24:00 Banning the Chinese Script
26:26 Manucfacturing Korean Heritage
35:30 The emergence of Bballi Bballi
49:20 Exploring Folk Music
1:02:15 Korea and China
1:14:25 Korea's Image Abroad
1:29:10 The Future of Korean Studies
1:36:20 Closing Idea
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Music by Jocelyn Clark
Thank you to 한종철 for helping me record this.
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
Many Korean women face both institutional barriers and everyday cultural expectations. Life often feels mapped out in advance, and those who deviate from that path meet resistance or worse. Meanwhile, the media tends to celebrate only the rich and famous, making it harder to see the everyday heroes and role models who truly reflect women's lives in Korea.
In this episode, I'm joined by Minyoung Kim, Victoria Yi, Sarah Soeun Lee, and Sangeun Kim — a team of writers behind a recently published bilingual book that shares real stories of women's experiences in Korea: their challenges, frustrations, families, dreams, and triumphs. Together, we talk about what it means to live honestly in a society that often prefers silence.
Apologies for the sound issues in this one. It was a new set-up and mistakes were made. Hopefully you can still find value in the courage and ideas of the four women.
Book Links
📘 Amazon: https://a.co/d/hCzXIyF (Currently only the eBook is available.)
📗 The printed edition will be officially released on major global retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others on December 19th.
If you can't wait, you can purchase the printed version directly through BookBaby: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/bethekey
Discussion Outline:
0:00 Introduction
8:05 Beyond Stereotypes
15:40 The Power of Community
28:05 Writing a Book
42:00 On Feminism
56:52 Hierarchical Korean Language
1:06:50 Changes in Korean Society
1:27:00 Hope for the Future
1:40:40 Recommendations
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Music by Jocelyn Clark
Thank you to 한종철 for helping me record this.
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
Liss Anda is a clincal psychologist and associate professor working at the University of Stavanger, Norway. Her research currently centers on perinatal mental health. She is especially interested in how cultural understandings and practices of maternity interact with mental wellbeing in new mothers. She also receives clients in a private practice as a therapist, where she takes a humanist and eclectic approach.
She has two kids, two cats, nine fish and some shrimp, has fully renovated two traditional wooden houses from 1908, the latter of which also just about fits her husband. She loves travelling, reading, cinema, eating and laughing. She is a Korean adoptee, born in Busan.
Find Liss online
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/psykologliss/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@psykologliss
Her book: https://enkelbutikk.no/psykolog-liss-anda
Discussion Outline
0:00 Postpartum depression
5:39 Baby wearing
11:50 Is motherhood innate?
16:50 Are attitudes to children changing?
21:10 Are we better educated?
31:00 Are parents different from non-parents?
35:50 Korean motherhood
50:40 Teenage Mothers and Exporting Children
58:00 Changing gender attitudes
1:08:55 Is the collective unconsciousness real?
1:19:00 Love in Korean society
1:36 Advice for parents
Appendix and Glossary of Terms: https://www.patreon.com/posts/141703371
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Music by Jocelyn Clark
Thank you to 한종철 for helping me record this.
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
Born in Taegu with roots in Jeju, Juhee then immigrated to the U.S. at age eight. As a 16-year-old Korean American girl, she ran away from home in Queens, New York, to become an architect. Having fulfilled that ambition, she returns to South Korea to reconcile with her abandoned heritage, resolve the family trauma, and achieve a sense of han puri. Find Juhee Online Personal Website: https://www.jleehartford.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jleehartford The Fortune Teller Story: https://ghll.truman.edu/juhee-lee-hartford-the-fortune-teller/ Discussion Outline 0:00 Rejecting Korean Identity (The death of a mother and Park Chung-hee on the same day)
8:52 Korean Architecture
19:30 Shamanism
23:05 Modern Korean Living
32:45 How Our Houses Shape Us
40:00 Jeju – The Land of Exile
43:25 Korea as an Emotional Land
48:50 Architecture as Class
54:00 Han Puri
1:01:34 Recommendations
Episode Glossary (New!): https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-appendix-140730565?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper, Anne Brennels
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Music by Jocelyn Clark
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
Jun Bum Sun joins me to talk about Korea’s unique energy, pungryu, its history, and the healing power of music. We cover Choi Chi Won, Tangun, the Hwarang, Shamanism, Choe Je-u, Tongdo Sogi, AI, K-pop, North Korea, Taoism, and the world ahead.
This episode was recorded in Bum Sun's book shop in Haebangchon. Find the video online and you can see the wonderful setting we recorded in as well as his dog 왕손 walking around.
Find Him Online
Jun Bum Sun: https://www.instagram.com/junbumsun/
The Yangbans: https://www.instagram.com/yangbansmusic/
Discussion Outline
0:00 History as Therapy
9:33 The Taeguk
17:35 Where Do We Come From?
26:30 The Power of Music
40:20 Confucianism
48:40 Tangun as a Shaman
55:30 Wind and Flow (Pungryu)
59:40 The Donghak
1:13:10 Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism
1:20:25 North Korea
1:38:40 The Samguk Yusa
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell, Sara B Cooper
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Music by Jocelyn Clark
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
While much of the world focuses on the beauty standards of Korea’s rich and famous, its K-Pop stars, actors, and influencers, we are left wondering how much of this actually applies to real life. Do regular Korean citizens face the same scrutiny around weight, fashion, surgery, and tattoos? I brought 4 Korean adults together to talk about these ideas and also to reveal some things about their own lives.
Today’s Guests
Sage https://www.instagram.com/twopercensage/
Jeoung https://www.instagram.com/jjong___s2/
Nuri https://www.instagram.com/nurichoii/
AJohn https://www.instagram.com/ft.ajohn/ / https://www.youtube.com/@ftajohn
Discussion Outline
0:00 Nail culture
7:40 Pretty Privilege in Korea
18:00 Showing Skin
24:45 Does K-Pop Affect People?
37:40 Fashion Turnoffs
42:05 What’s Hot?
46:25 Weight and Fitness
57:10 Men's Hair
1:03:05 Skin Color / Being White
1:08:35 Tattoos
1:16:28 Plastic Surgery
1:25:00 K-Beauty and Cosmetics
1:30:22 A Message about Beauty
1:36:20 Recommendations
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Music by Jocelyn Clark
Connect with us:
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
Joseph Bengivenni is an artist and photographer who has spend most of the past twenty years living in and exploring South Korea. The Korean mountains and temples have captured his heart and mind, as he obsessively searches for scenic areas to photograph and auspicious places to practice Dharma.
You can follow his journey
on Instagram: @oxherder_photography
The history of Korean Buddhism: koreanbuddhism.wordpress.com.
Photos: https://oxherder.smugmug.com/
Discussion
0:00 Introduction to Buddhism
34:00 Seosan, Korea
45:48 Meditation and Hwadu
1:01:20 Gyeongheo
1:19:20 An Ox with No Nostrils
1:27:48 Daehaeng Kun Sunim
1:38:00 Recommendations
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Music by Jocelyn Clark
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
Rob York is director for regional affairs at Pacific Forum in Honolulu, working on Korean Peninsular security and Indo-Pacific information warfare. He previously worked as production editor at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong and as editor of NK News from 2013 to 2016. He earned his PhD in Korean history in 2023. Pacific Forum: https://pacforum.org/ Discussion Outline
0:00 Lee Jae Myung
17:50 Trump and Korea
39:00 North Korea
43:10 Communism
47:55 China in the 21st Century
1:10:00 Korea and Japan
1:15:50 The International Order David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076 Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Music by Jocelyn Clark
Connect with us:
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, I sit down with Ra Jong-yil, a scholar, diplomat, and influential figure in modern Korean politics. We recorded this conversation in his house in Seoul. Born in 1940 during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Ra Jong-yil has lived through some of the country’s most defining historical moments. And, in many cases, helped shape them. We talk about his father's role in the Provisional Government in Shanghai alongside Syngman Rhee, Kim Ku, and Ahn Chang Ho. Ra also reflects on his mentorship of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, two presidents who helped usher in Korea’s democratic era, and with whom he later served in high positions as well as in the role of Ambassador of the ROK in the United Kingdom (2001 - 2003) and Ambassador of the ROK in Japan (2004-2007)
The Baekbong Political Culture Research Institute: http://bbi.or.kr/
Inside North Korea's Theocracy (book): https://www.amazon.com/Inside-North-Koreas-Theocracy-Song-thaek/dp/1438473729
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra_Jong-yil
Thank you to Han Jong-chul for helping me record on location: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/
Discussion Outline
0:00 Korea Under Occupation
9:10 Baekbong Na Yong-kyun (Jong-Yil's father)
22:30 Liberal Democracy in Korea
44:18 On Kim Dae-jung
1:07:17 On Roh Moo-hyun
1:27:05 On Compassion, Books, and Myths
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Music by Jocelyn Clark
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
Italian journalist Marianna Baroli joins me to discuss K-pop, fan culture, parasocial love, and how Korean music is reshaping global identity, especially in Italy. But at what cost? And where do we go next?
Find Marianna online
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/countingstars/
Panorama: https://www.panorama.it/author/mariannabaroli
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introductions
4:55 Fan girling 2PM
7:35 Why K-pop Beat the West?
9:25 The Current State of K-pop
14:20 GOT7
17:50 Girl Groups
20:25 Italian Reactions to K-pop
25:00 Airbnb and SEVENTEEN
28:35 Toxicity in K-pop Online
32:00 Parasocial Relationships
36:00 Objectivity in Music Reviews
40:00 The Producers of K-pop
43:30 Jay Park
45:40 DPR IAN
48:22 How Big Is Hallyu in Italy?
53:46 K-Beauty 57:00 Being in Korea
1:01:40 Italian and Korean Culture
1:04:10 Where Is the Modern World Going?
1:14:40 Recommendations
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM?si=srRVQ1vRkLvCV076
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Music by Jocelyn Clark
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
Lebanese scholar Rania Hafez joins Korea Deconstructed for a wide-ranging conversation on class, culture, and the search for meaning. Rania reflects on how media pushes culture wars over class solidarity, the importance of leadership in academia, and how she discovered Korean dramas during the Covid pandemic. Her love for Crash Landing on You and Hometown Cha Cha Cha helped her find beauty and purpose again, calling Korea her "Narnia."
A deeply personal and philosophical episode about rediscovery, passion, and why Korea speaks to so many hearts around the world. She also reflects on her experiences as a Muslim in Korea and how she is able to navigate these spaces.
Rania: https://www.instagram.com/the_lebanese_londoner/
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Discussion Outline
0:00 Korea Deconstructed
2:45 Meaning in modern life
31:00 The importance of class
1:01:20 The struggles of capitalism
1:08:30 K-dramas and the love of the country
1:26:40 Being a Muslim in Korea
1:37:00 How to foster connection
1:46:45 Recommendations
Music by Jocelyn Clark
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
My guest is Fyodor Tertitskiy, a prolific scholar, polyglot, and one of the few who reads the footnotes of history in multiple languages. His new book, Accidental Tyrant, a biography of Kim Il Sung, challenges the official state mythology and unearths the improbable rise of a guerrilla fighter turned dynastic dictator.
This is how Kim Il Sung outwitted imperialists, communists, comrades, and colonels alike, turning chance into legacy, failure into foundation. But the question remains: what does this all mean for those of us living in a world still shaped by the ghosts of his decisions?
Buy Fyodor's latest book here: https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Tyrant-Life-Kim-sung/dp/0197800882
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Discussion Outline
0:00 Who was Kim Il Sung?
9:00 Japanese colonization of Korea
13:40 Kim Il Sung's early life
22:30 What is communism?
27:30 Kim Il Sung the anti-Japanese guerrilla fighter
35:15 How the Soviet Union created North Korea
44:10 Why was Kim Il Sung chosen to lead?
52:40 Planning the Korean War
58:30 Who was Mun Il?
1:05:10 Chairman Mao
1:15:20 Kim Il Sung's economic policies
1:22:40 The succession policies of North Korea
1:41:50 How people misunderstand Juche
1:54:00 Recommendations
Music by Jocelyn Clark
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, I’m joined by four university students: young people who voted, watched, and waited as South Korea held its most recent presidential election and elected Lee Jae-myung. We discuss what the election felt like to them. What it felt like to cast a vote. What they saw among their friends. And what was never said. We’ll explore the hopes and contradictions of a generation caught between economic uncertainty, cultural shifts, and a political system that doesn’t always seem built for them. Korea Deconstructed #105 Big thank you to these wonderful people: Yunseo (https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/) Jennie (https://www.instagram.com/isojeong512/) Andrew (https://www.instagram.com/andrew__ko/) Ray 한종철 (https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/) David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr. Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/vIbpLfWJoZM Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873 Discussion Outline 0:00 What did election day feel like? 8:15 Analyzing the candidates 15:40 Can you talk about politics in Korea? 23:50 What matters to you in politics? 27:15 Gender and military service 32:00 Japan, America, China, and North Korea 43:35 Produce (Politics) 101 46:40 Young people's politics 57:35 Kwon Young-guk 1:05:40 The future of Korea 1:18:30 Message to the new president 1:21:55 Recommendations Music by Jocelyn Clark Connect with us: ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ David's Insta: @datizzard ▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed Questions or Topic Suggestions? Write in the Comments Below! #KoreaDeconstructed #korea #koreanculture #southkorea Listen to Korea Deconstructed ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128 ▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
A recent viral YouTube video claimed that Korea would soon be extinct. The country transformed negatively by one of the world's lowest birthrates. Change, it suggested, was too late. Four young adults come together to discuss the future of Korea, assessing its birthrate issues, education, culture of perfection, and the deep spiritual crisis that seems to have gripped the nation. Is Korea really over? Not necessarily...
We hear from 4 young people all living here: a young Korean man interested in Jungian psychology, a woman balancing study and modeling, an ethnic Korean from Uzbekistan (Koryosaram), and someone just embarking on their college life.
Big thank you to these wonderful people:
Celine (@celinesoyoon)
Marina (@marina_tens)
Susan
Ray
한종철
Watch the original video from @Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell https://youtu.be/Ufmu1WD2TSk?si=0RuYZzEe5cr4pQ7p
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/QJ66Ew2FsOI?si=bSVFz590fd1xQPsM
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell
Support Korea Deconstructed: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Discussion Outline
0:00 Reactions to the video
9:43 A spiritual crisis
16:50 Gender conversations
23:40 The popularity of Korean grief
34:20 Generation gaps and the elderly
43:20 Korean education
51:55 Do young Korean people want children?
1:04:10 Is the future bright?
1:20:55 Recommendations
Music by Jocelyn Clark and Radical Gary
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
Questions or Topic Suggestions? Write in the Comments!
#KoreaDeconstructed #korea #koreanculture #kurzgesagt #southkorea
Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
Kornel Chang on U.S. Power, Korean Resistance, and the Birth of Division
What if Korea’s true revolution was never allowed to happen? In this episode, I talk with historian Kornel Chang, author of A Fractured Liberation, to explore a moment in Korean history that most people never learn about. A moment when ordinary Koreans believed they were on the brink of something new. In 1945 Japanese colonial rule had ended and, across the peninsula, people were filled with hope. Workers seized factories, farmers reclaimed land, and women demanded rights. It was Korea’s “Asian Spring”...an explosion of grassroots energy and possibility. But it didn’t last.
Instead of freedom, Koreans faced a new occupying force: the U.S. military government in the South. Kornel walks us through how the American-led administration, fearful of leftist movements and obsessed with anti-communism, sidelined local efforts toward democracy, reinstalled collaborators from the colonial regime, and helped lay the groundwork for division, war, and decades of authoritarian rule. This is a story about who gets to decide the future when the dust of war settles. And it's more important than ever.
Buy A Fractured Liberation: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674258433
Kornel Chang is the author of Pacific Connections: The Making of the U.S.-Canadian Borderlands, winner of the Association for Asian American Studies Book Prize in History. He is Associate Professor of History and American Studies and Chair of the History Department at Rutgers University–Newark.
About David A. Tizzard
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/QJ66Ew2FsOI?si=bSVFz590fd1xQPsM
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell
Join Patreon: Support Korea Deconstructed: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Discussion Outline
0:00 From Pyongyang to New York
9:49 The Paths Not Taken
27:48 Why Was Korea Divided?
41:36 Who Could Lead Korea?
52:42 Collaboration with the Japanese
1:04:35 The Lived Experiences of 1945-1948
1:17:14 Using Literature to Centre Ordinary Koreans
1:26:23 On Korean Studies and its Factions
1:37:00 Recommendations
Music by Jocelyn Clark
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
Questions or Topic Suggestions? Write in the Comments Below!
#KoreaDeconstructed #korea #koreanhistory #koreanculture
Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
From visas to values: a positive, practical conversation about living in Korea
Kim Ninja joins Korea Deconstructed to talk about building an authentic life in Korea. Born in Germany to Vietnamese parents, Kim made the jump to Korea and now helps thousands of expats and digital nomads adapt culturally, practically, and legally. Through cartoons, articles, and community building, he offers a refreshing, optimistic take on life abroad — steering away from sensationalism. In this conversation, Kim shares practical advice on visas, adapting to Korean norms, and how to find real beauty in your experiences.
Follow Kim Ninja
Instagram: @iamkimninja
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamkimninja/
Website: iamkimninja.com
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/QJ66Ew2FsOI?si=bSVFz590fd1xQPsM
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell
Join Patreon: Support Korea Deconstructed: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Discussion Outline
0:00 – Why Choose Korea? (Reasons to live in Korea)
2:45 – K-pop Matters for Asian People (Cultural significance of K-pop)
6:15 – Translating Eastern and Western Culture (Bridging cultural gaps)
10:40 – Living in Korea (Adapting to life in Korea)
25:00 – Avoiding The Negativity of Korea (Focus on positivity in expat life)
45:18 – Korea and Vietnamese Relations and Culture (Exploring the ties between Vietnam and Korea)
55:55 – The Visa Process in Korea (Step-by-step guide to expat visas)
1:04:50 – What Korea Can Improve for Digital Nomads (Suggestions for digital nomads in Korea)
1:10:00 – Final Thoughts (Kim Ninja’s advice for future expats)
Music by Jocelyn Clark:
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: @datizzard
▶ KD Insta: @koreadeconstructed
Questions or Topic Suggestions? Write in the Comments Below!
#KoreaDeconstructed #KimNinja #LifeInKorea #LivingAbroad #ExpatLife #KoreanVisa #DigitalNomads #KoreanCulture
Listen to Korea Deconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
I sat down with scholar, Nilesh Kumar to explore how Korean cinema has reflected shifting notions of gender, identity, and social structure across decades. From the angry men of the Korean New Wave to the defiant heroines of modern streaming hits, this conversation examines how bodies on screen become battlegrounds for power, memory, and desire. We begin by talking about how technology defines Park Chan-wook’s groundbreaking movie Oldboy, as well as its absence of allegory, signaling the start of post-modern Korean cinema. Then, we explore three main themes in Korean cinema across time: Masculinity, femininity, and queer representation. The first section sees us discuss Chilsu and Mansu (1988), Peppermint Candy (1999), A Single Spark (1995), Whale Hunting (1984), Burning (2018), and Parasite (2019). We then turn our attention to Hostess Cinema (1974-1982), Yeong-ja’s Heydays (1975), Right Then, Wrong Now (2015), Ballerina (2023), Han Gong Ju (2013), and My Sassy Girl (2001). Finally, we look at King and the Clown (2005), Moonlit Winter (2019), Mine (2021), The Handmaiden (2016) as well as the importance of Seo Dong-jin and Paul B. Preciado. I was particularly impressed by how Nilesh put each section in context, describing the importance of the socio-economic and political conditions of the time.
Nilesh Kumar is from England, of Gujarati-Indian background, and is based in South Korea. He is a Film Curator and co-founder of the Seoul-based underground-movable cinema, STEAK FILM and the sexuality themed, STEAK CINEMA. His topics of writing have included contemporary queer South Korean culture, South Korean ‘hostess’ cinema (1974-82), and 6th Generation Chinese Cinema.
Selected work: https://novasiagsis.com/author/nileshp/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nilesh5739/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shanti.love.90
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/L9azQpXZ2Rc
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Discussion Outline
0:00 Oldboy and Allegory
18:40 Angry Men in Korean New Wave Cinema
44:42 Hostess Cinema and Female Representation
1:12:25 My Sassy Girl (엽기적인 그녀)
1:37:30 The Queers are Here
2:33:46 Recommendations
Music by Jocelyn Clark: https://youtu.be/IWVqqXT3TfY?si=wq2mcIIarE6JTqFS
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/
▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/
Questions or Topic Suggestions: Write in the Comments Below
#koreadeconstructed #davidtizzard
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
보도지침 (Media Guidelines) is a satirical work that critiques the media landscape and the influence of government or corporate power on Korean journalism in the 1980s. It explores themes such as censorship, the manipulation of public opinion, and the ethical dilemmas faced by journalists. The play is known for its sharp wit and critical perspective, often using humor and irony to highlight the challenges and compromises that media professionals may face.
More and more young Koreans are bringing this play to the stage—not as a history lesson, but as a statement about their own reality. So, I spoke with four university students who recently performed 보도지침. They shared why this play matters, how it connects to the present, and why art remains a powerful tool for democracy and social change. If you care about free speech, activism, and the role of art in shaping society, this conversation is for you. Read more about it in Korean here: https://namu.wiki/w/보도지침(연극)
Go Minjeong, Lee Seoyeon, Nam Sumin, and Park Hayeol are members of the Seoul Women's University theatre group.
Their Insta page: https://www.instagram.com/swutheaterart/
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/L9azQpXZ2Rc
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
3:00 보도지침 (The Play)
9:30 The Parents' Generation
15:00 Reactions to the Play
26:30 Communism and North Korea
33:00 The Importance of Theatre
42:14 Reflections on Korean History
49:25 Recommendations
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/
▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
A few years ago, Blair's grandmother gave him a present. Approximately 300 photographs his grandfather had taken in Korea nearly 70 years ago. These beautifully preserved color photos not only revealed a country and its people emerging from war and beginning to rebuild, it also showed Blair members of his family. It showed him where he was from, and, therefore, where he was going. He has digitized these photos and made them into an archive. This has since grown to feature a wide range of photos and videos expertly organized to allow visitors to discover Korea as it once was and, perhaps, also help some people understand where they came from.
Korean Image Archive: https://www.koreanimage.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koreanimage
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/koreanimage
Discussion
0:00 My Grandparents in 1950s Korea
9:45 300 color photos of old Korea
27:40 Creating an archive
34:40 Mixed race families in Korean history
54:10 American soldiers and camptown Korean women
1:05:35 Recommendations
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades.
He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/L9azQpXZ2Rc
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/
▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a social-cultural commentator, and a musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Jack Greenberg works as an independent consultant, researcher, and freelance writer. His current focus is on heritage and conservation issues, historical memory debates, truth-seeking and reconciliation, and civilian massacres of the Korean War.
Connect with Jack
Substack: https://ggachi.substack.com/
Twitter: https://x.com/jackwgreenberg
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/jackwgreenberg.bsky.social
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/jackwgreenberg/
Jack's Work
False Squid Game Links: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2025/02/113_390188.html
Brothers Home Adoption Scandal: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2025/02/113_392647.html
Togani Review: https://chajournal.blog/2023/05/29/togani/
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/L9azQpXZ2Rc
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Discussion Outline
0:00 Shamanism
15:30 Shamanism and Politics
21:50 The Minjung Movement
36:15 North Korean Sympathy and the Korean Left
43:30 The Protests of 2025
53:20 Group Confinement Facilities: 형제복지원
1:01:25 The Truth and Reconciliation Commission
1:09:45 Japanese Collaboration (친일파)
1:20:25 Civilian Massacres in Korea
1:42:00 American Military Comfort Women
1:50:50 Finding Courage
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/
▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
Eunjae Cho is currently studying Chinese Language and Literature at Seoul Women’s University. She has a deep interest in languages and Asian culture, which led her to work as a journalist in the e-sports industry. She has primarily written articles about League of Legends and Japanese subculture. A distinctive feature of her articles is that they include voices and interviews from fans and professionals across various countries.
Her recent work: https://m.post.naver.com/viewer/postView.naver?volumeNo=42695436&memberNo=6799533
Her social media: https://www.instagram.com/noir_p90?igsh=czdvc3NiY3ltd2Ru&utm_source=qr
Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
4:35 League of Legends
10:35 Who Plays E-Sports?
15:45 Why are Koreans so good at E-Sports?
18:55 National E-Sports Culture
21:50 PC Bang Culture
25:00 DDOS Attacks
28:15 E-Sports Online Communities: Inven and More
31:00 Zeus Leaving T1 for Hanwha
36:10 E-Sports in the Asian Games and Military Service
40:05 Can it become an Olympic Sport?
44:00 Being an E-Sports Journalist
48:20 E-Sports Fan Culture
1:01:10 Recommendations
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/
▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
I watched Squid Game Season 2 over the holidays and decided to record some brief thoughts on it. You can find an abridged version in the newspaper here: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2025/01/782_389692.html
I am back in the studio next week with a new guest and a new topic before flying to the UK to spend a month with my family.
Happy 2025 everyone.
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a a social-cultural commentator, and musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/
▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
#koreadeconstructed #davidtizzard
David A. Tizzard has a PhD in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He writes a weekly column in the Korea Times, is a a social-cultural commentator, and musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Sanko Lewis (PhD) is a professor, philosopher, martial arts researcher, and artist living in Seoul, South Korea.
Find him and his work: https://linktr.ee/sankolewis
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya, Roxanne Murrell
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Discussion Outline
0:00 Taekwondo as Korean Wave
4:03 Explaining 천지 (Heaven and Earth)
6:02 The Birth of Taekwondo
12:55 North Korea and Taekwondo
15:12 Olympics Taekwondo
20:00 Martial Arts Deconstructed
32:40 Early Western Interactions with Martial Arts
39:20 Taoism as Asian Philosophy
55:00 The Japanese Origins of Taekwondo
1:04:22 Choi Hong-hi
1:14:50 Taekwondo in Modern Korea
1:20:20 Ethnographic Research
1:26:00 Korean Body Culture
1:32:20 곡선미 (The Beauty of Curved Lines)
1:43:31 단전 호흡 (Korean Breathing)
1:47:48 Korean Aesthetics in Modern K-Pop
1:56:55 Recommendations
Connect with us:
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/
▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/
#koreadeconstructed #davidtizzard
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
David A. Tizzard has a doctorate in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He is a social-cultural commentator and musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He can be reached at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/L9azQpXZ2Rc
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Thanks to Patreon members: Hee Ji Jacobs, Bhavya
Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
Connect with us:
▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/
▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/
#koreadeconstructed #davidtizzard
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
Korean gender, feminism, fairness and equality are discussed here at length. We also cover transgender representation in media, male mandatory military service, magic days for women, and the world's lowest birthrate.
Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/L9azQpXZ2Rc?si=u-xsXr1c2atGH-ri
Subscribe to the channel: @DavidTizzard/videos
Connect with us:
▶ Email: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/
▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/
▶ Jeon Yunseo: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/
▶ Jongmin: https://www.instagram.com/dunchonerd/
Guest Ms. Samantha Afflick-Smith is an associate professor at Hanyang University’s Seoul campus. She works for the Centre for Creative Convergence Education’s College of English Education Committee (CCCE:CEEC), where she teaches courses from conversation skills, critical analysis, academic writing to professional presentations. She also teaches a vibrant PBL discussion course on South Korean society and its evolving cultural diversity. Samantha is known as an educator, peer and mentor who regularly encourages people to be their best and persevere through challenges with her positive attitude and tireless energy. In her free time, Samantha enjoys reading, writing short stories for her blog – Cacophony of Cerebral Consciousness @c3griot.wordpress.com and learning new skills, such as drawing, and audio editing.
Discussion Outline
0:00 What is (Korean) Feminism?
12:05 Radical Feminism and the Internet
17:25 The Silencing of Men
23:40 Are Women and Men the Same or Different?
33:00 Can Men and Women be Friends?
42:50 Monthly Menstrual Leave
55:20 Transgenderism and Poongja
58:15 Should Women do Mandatory Military Service?
1:17:10 The World's Lowest Birthrate
1:38:40 How to Make the World a Better Place?
1:47:50 Recommendations
#koreadeconstructed #davidtizzard
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
▶ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=62047873
This week I sat down with a group of BTS fans from around the world and spent two hours listening to their stories. As a lot of the media hype and attention around them has either focused on their solo efforts or been replaced by the next generation of idols, I thought it would provide some nice distance from the unprecedented levels of success they were achieving as a group a few years back.
And so we explored different things together: When did they first discover BTS? What was the performance or the album that made them fall in love? How has their fandom affected their lives? What’s their favorite song? How many of the dances can they do? Who’s their favorite member? What makes them stand out from other groups?
Big thanks to the guests: Kit, Aishu, Celine, and Annis
Member
Thank you again to the paid Patreon member Bhavya.
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
1:00 Discovering BTS
5:35 The Evolution of BTS
10:48 What Makes BTS Great?
15:30 The Seven Members
36:35 BTS and Mental Health
43:05 ARMY
52:30 BTS and Politics
1:00:35 BTS and the K-Pop Industry
1:04:20 Recommendations
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/
▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/
▶ Kim Soyoon: https://www.instagram.com/celinesoyoon/
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@UCXcdboOUCnCFnrAOF5dV1sg
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
▶ Song by Radical Gary (David): Savage Penguin
Zeljana Zmire, Ph.D. in International Studies and Korean Studies, is a lecturer at Hanyang University in Seoul. Her research interests include multiculturalism, immigration policy, comparative politics, international politics and other. She can be reached via zeljana@hanyang.ac.kr.
You can also find her on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zeljana-zmire-2927307b/
Members
Thank you again to the paid Patreon member Bhavya.
Discussion Outline
0:00 Defining Multiculturalism
6:00 Korea's Homogeneity
15:35 The Effects of Media
23:11 International Marriages
31:30 Becoming Korean
39:15 Racism in Korea
48:00 Nouveau-Riche Nationalism
53:05 Stereotypes on White Women
56:05 How to Make the World Better
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/
▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/
▶ Jeon Yunseo: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@UCXcdboOUCnCFnrAOF5dV1sg
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
▶ Song by Radical Gary (David): https://youtu.be/AAkVRbH8eyg?si=FYtMqj2YfmJcmPPI
Carlos Gorito is many things but most in Korea would have first come across him when he appeared on the hit television show 비정상회담 in 2015. Discussing a wide-range of topics in Korean, his personality and passion saw him gain many fans and win respect from the nation. He has worked with the Brazilian Embassy in South Korea and does a fabulous job of promoting relations between the two countries. When you listen to him speak, he says "us" and "we" when talking about Korea, and is now a public relations ambassador for Jeju Island. I first met him when we were both appointed by the Ministry of Justice to help people acclimatize to life here, a position he still proudly holds.
Find him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlosgorito/
Thank you to Bhavya for joining the Patreon as a paid member. I try to put free stuff there for members so you can see things with or without money. Because the studio and everything else involved costs a fair bit, any contribution certainly helps, but is not required.
Discussion Outline
0:00 비정상회담
10:44 The Korean Language
18:20 Korean Culture
25:10 Our 애국심
33:40 Korean History
36:50 North Korea
43:20 Multiculturalism in Korea
51:30 Beauty Standards in Korea
54:55 Misconceptions about Korea
1:05:20 Advice for Coming to Korea
1:11:00 Korean Korea Deconstructed (한국어로...)
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/
▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/
▶ Kim Soyoon: https://www.instagram.com/celinesoyoon/
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@UCXcdboOUCnCFnrAOF5dV1sg
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
▶ Song by Radical Gary (David): https://youtu.be/AAkVRbH8eyg?si=FYtMqj2YfmJcmPPI
Jocelyn Clark is a performer and scholar. Before becoming a professor at Pai Chai (培材) University in South Korea, she founded and directed the CrossSound new music festival in Alaska, and the new music touring ensemble IIIZ+ (guzheng, koto, gayageum, and percussion), organizations through which she commissioned and/or premiered over 30 new works for Korean gayageum. Next to her work in contemporary music she is the first foreigner without Korean heritage to become an official government disciple in the National Heritage system, in the genre gayageum sanjo and byeongchang [伽倻琴散調/竝唱].
As a scholar, Clark has spent over 25 years in Japan, China, and Korea studying traditional musics. She holds a Ph. D. from Harvard University in East Asian Languages and Civilizations where she wrote on the language of pansori, focusing on the tension between its oral transmission/low social standing and its tenuous relationship to Chinese classical poetic texts of the High Tang. Other research interests include music of place, aesthetics, and contemporary “national music” performance practices in Northeast Asia in the age of AI. She has published in academic journals such as The World of Music, Asian Musicology, and Perspectives on Korean Music. She writes an opinion column for the national newspaper the JoongAng Daily.
The introduction music is taken from Jocelyn playing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAQ6u3-N0YY Discussion Outline
0:00 Starting a Korean Journey
14:05 Understanding Korean Music
22:00 Explaining Pansori
33:45 Pansori, Gender, and Change
38:36 Cultural Transmission and Education
45:15 Concepts and Social Recognition of Korean Culture
51:55 Seopyeonjae (서편제) and The Sound of a Flower (도리화가)
58:30 Korean Sounds
1:04:40 Aesthetics: More than Music
1:17:40 The Korean Language
1:22:30 3 Minutes Speaking Korean
1:25:45 Live Concerts
1:35:10 A Chinese Lesson
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/
▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/
▶ Yunseo Jeon: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@UCXcdboOUCnCFnrAOF5dV1sg
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com
Jihoon Suk received his BA and MA on Korean modern history from Yonsei University and studied Korean Studies briefly at the University of Michigan. Now, a Ph.D. candidate at Yonsei University, he is doing extensive research on the colonial-era cultural history of Korea, with a special focus on the presence and popularity of modern audiovisual media (sound recordings, films, radio) during that time. He had published a number of articles and research papers in collaboration with various institutions, including the National Contemporary History Museum of Korea, Seoul City History Museum, Korean Film Archive, and the National Gugak Center. He also recently published a book (in collaboration with Nate Kornegay) on the history of Scratch Tiles, a type of brick that was popular in the U.S. and East Asia during the first half of the 20th century.
You can follow Jihoon online here: https://www.facebook.com/jihoon.suk.1/
Discussion Outline
0:00 Korean Kisaeng (기생/妓生)
12:27 The Creation of Korean Culture and Music
23:35 Korean Male Prostitution during the Joseon Dynasty / 사당패
33:15 Outlawing Korean Buddhism during the Joseon Dynasty
40:00 Slavery during Traditional Korea
55:30 Korean Palaces and Modern Tourism
1:06:00 Anti-Communism and North Korea
1:17:35 Han, Heung, and Mut (한, 흥, 멋)
1:24:40 The Japanese Colonization of Korea
1:37:48 Listening to Early Records of Arirang
2:14:00 The Lessons of Korean History
2:17:30 Recommendations
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/
▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/
▶ Yunseo Jeon: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@UCXcdboOUCnCFnrAOF5dV1sg
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
Peter Yoonsuk Paik is a Professor at Yonsei University in the Department of English Language and Literature.
His academic writing on a variety of subjects can be found here: https://yonsei.academia.edu/PeterPaik
Discussion Outline
0:00 On Greatness
14:20 What Kind of World Do We Live In?
20:00 The Necessity of Spirituality
24:40 Equality and Liberty
30:00 The Modern University Classroom
40:10 On the East and West
50:00 On Korean Education
54:10 Burning (Korean Movie)
1:00:40 On Korean Society
1:09:00 The Future
1:16:45 Recommendations
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ David's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/datizzard/
▶ KD Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed/
▶ Yunseo Jeon: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@UCXcdboOUCnCFnrAOF5dV1sg
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Couldn't Be Your Son - by David Tizzard
Professor Moon Seungsook is a political and cultural sociologist, scholar of gender studies, and East Asianist specializing in South Korea. She grew up in Seoul, Korea and lived and worked in Boston and Cambridge, MA before moving to Vassar College. Her research evolved from feminist critiques of nationalism, militarism, democratization, and citizenship to globalization and transnationalism shaping militarism and civic agency, production and consumption of food and masculinities. She is a recipient of notable awards, including a Fulbright Scholars Award (2004-05), an inaugural endowed-chair visiting professorship at Harvard University (2014-15), and the Laboratory Program for Korean Studies Research Grant from the Academy of Korean Studies (2018-23). Her latest book is Civic Activism in South Korea: The Intertwining of Democracy and Neoliberalism (2024).
Civic Activism in South Korea: https://www.amazon.com/Civic-Activism-South-Korea-Neoliberalism/dp/023121149X
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
7:00 The real life effects of neoliberalization
15:40 Life in pre-democratic South Korea
21:00 Neoliberalism and democracy in South Korea
32:53 Citizens' Organizations in South Korea
42:05 Neoliberalization and religion
51:35 The profound irony of individualism
55:05 Multiculturalism in South Korea
1:02:45 Recommendations
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@UCXcdboOUCnCFnrAOF5dV1sg
▶ Find us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Fighting by Disorientalz
The Space Out Competition in Seoul, South Korea, is a unique and quirky event that challenges participants to do... nothing. The goal of the competition is to simply sit still, remain calm, and "space out" for 90 minutes without any distractions. In a society like South Korea's, where work culture can be intense and people often feel pressured to be constantly productive, the Space Out Competition offers a refreshing contrast. It emphasizes the importance of mental health and the need to slow down, even if just for a little while.
This year's winner was Soa Kwon, a television presenter, announcer, and celebrity in the English-speaking media world of South Korea. Her success brought her even more fame, appearing on television with Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho as well as CNN. Soa says she could somewhat foresee this success and puts a lot of it down to her habit of writing down her goals and then manifesting them.
Find Soa online:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soa.kwon/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tv-tn8cr
In this episode, we are joined by regular co-host Yunseo Jeon and also Hyemin Kim
Yunseo: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/
Hyemin: https://www.instagram.com/hminimii/
Discussion Outline
0:00 The Queen of Spacing Out
10:25 Manifesting Your Future
20:25 Beauty and Gender in Media
29:35 Celebrity Tea
33:05 Weird Animal Noise Section (lmao)
43:50 German or Korean?
50:05 Evaluating Korean Society
1:04:20 Looking at Hallyu
1:12:55 Becoming a 'Dragon'
1:20:45 Recommendations
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@UCXcdboOUCnCFnrAOF5dV1sg
▶ Find us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Fighting X 3 by Disorientalz
Is Korea racist? Is Korea homophobic? How do media representations affect people's lives here? We brought two Korean people and two foreigners together to discuss life here in South Korea, exploring the topics of beauty, dating, race, sexuality, social media, and more. Aaliyah, Thomas and I had just spent 6 hours a day together for the last 4 weeks at the Hanyang University Summer program studying Korean culture. We’ve missed Yunseo for the last 6 episodes but she is back with us now. She’s also meeting Thomas and Aaliyah for the first time. Hongmin, relatively fresh from finishing his military service for the country, joined us to talk about his own experiences. Discussion Outline 0:00 Korea and TikTok
7:40 Beauty and Appearance
24:50 Gaydar in Korea
32:00 Dating Apps and Clubbing
45:55 PDA in Korea
53:00 Cultural Appropriation
1:03:47 Pronouns and Language
1:09:12 Being Gay in the Korean Military
1:13:20 Media Representation and a Better Society
1:27:40 Korea Before and After
1:31:10 BL Dramas
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Yunseo Jeon: y_jeon_s
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@UCXcdboOUCnCFnrAOF5dV1sg
▶ Find us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Savage Penguin by David Tizzard (Radical Gary)
Andrew Salmon, MBE, is the Seoul-based Asia editor of Washington Times, where he specializes in regional security, geopolitics and macro. He is the author of five books, including the award-winning Korean War combat histories, "To the Last Round" and "Scorched Earth, Black Snow." Those works have won awards from the ROK and UK governments, and have been translated into both Korean and Chinese.
Andrew's Books
To The Last Round: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Round-British-Stand-Imjin/dp/1845135334
Scorched Earth, Black Snow: https://www.amazon.com/Scorched-Earth-Black-Snow-Australia/dp/1845136195
The Washington Times: https://www.washingtontimes.com/staff/andrew-salmon/
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
2:25 The Psychological Effects of War on Individuals
15:00 The Forgotten War
19:30 Soldiers' First Impressions of Korea
26:40 Difficult Questions
30:45 The North Korean Offensive
38:10 General Douglas MacArthur
47:20 The Chinese Dragon Awakes
1:00:00 An Ideological War?
1:10:00 Prisoners of War
1:14:55 Derek Kinne: Churchill's Bulldog
1:20:50 The End of the War
1:28:00 Current Military Capabilities
1:36:25 China in the 21st Century
1:44:20 Vladimir Putin
1:49:35 Lessons on War and Human Nature
1:57:35 Recommendations
Korea Deconstructed
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@UCXcdboOUCnCFnrAOF5dV1sg
▶ Find us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
Music: Stranger Danger - Francis Preve Pictures:
A selection of photos and videos have been used in the YouTube version for educational purposes. If any of them are yours and you would like to be credited in the notes here, please let me know.
David Kim is many things but is perhaps best known for his Korean content on Youtube. He has been a huge part of three popular programs over the last seven years: DKDKTV, Ramyun and Chill, and, now, Korean Pizza Club. His content has reached millions and is driven by his positive and generous outlook on life, something even more evident when meeting him in person.
We spoke about how hallyu has changed, whether K-pop is still cool, Korean dating culture, and life here in Seoul. We even got political at the end, exploring the challenges of democracy and communism and what hope young people have for the future.
Check out David's work online
Korean Pizza Club: https://www.youtube.com/@UCVqkbppiAXuI4Kp3AQmauTw
DKDKTV: https://www.youtube.com/c/dkdktv
Biroso: https://biroso.net/
We are also joined by Seoul Women's University student Soyoon Kim
Insta: @celinesoyoon
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
10:24 Positivity in the Korean Space
15:42 Culture and Korea
27:47 Is Hallyu Still Popular?
37:20 Streaming Culture and Manipulation
46:48 Dating Culture
52:04 Being Cancelled
1:03:00 Misperceptions of Korea
1:14:20 Education and Competition in Korea
1:23:00 Korean democracy
1:35:20 Recommendations
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@UCXcdboOUCnCFnrAOF5dV1sg
▶ Find us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Still Something So Beautiful by David Tizzard (Radical Gary)
Park Nohae emerged as a powerful literary voice in South Korea during the tumultuous 1980s, though at the time few knew who he actually was. He was the faceless poet. The voice of the many. Working various manual labor jobs which exposed him to the harsh realities faced by the working class, he became a champion of labor rights and social justice. His collection of poems "노동의 새벽( Dawn of Labor)" published in 1984 sold over a million copies. However, his call for change and a new sky over the South Korean people brought him into conflict with the military dictatorship. He was arrested and sentenced to life in prison, though many called for the death penalty. Eventually, after seven long years, much of which was solitary confinement, he was released.
Today he still writes poetry and takes photos, sharing his wisdom and insights with a new generation. You can also visit his photo exhibitions in Seoul, with images captured in Iraq and Palestine. However, Park shuns the limelight, rarely giving interviews and not wanting fame or publicity.
This conversation with Cheehyung Harrison Kim celebrates the first English publication of Dawn of Labor, a book which he worked on with Brother Anthony (An Sonjae). Harrison is an associate professor of Korean history at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. We are also joined by Seoul Women's University student Kim Jiwon.
Dawn of Labor: https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/dawn-of-labor/
Park Nohae (twitter): https://x.com/parknohae
Park Nohae (insta): https://www.instagram.com/park_nohae/
Park's latest book (Korean): https://gift.kakao.com/product/9251669?input_channel_id=2630
Nanum Munhwa: https://www.nanum.com/site/
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
7:30 The context:
1980s Korea
20:27 Politics and leftist ideas
28:15 Gender and feminism in Park's work
48:55 Dawn of Labor
53:40 Love by Park Nohae
58:55 How Much? by Park Nohae
1:07:50 Mother by Park Nohae
1:18:15 Arrest and imprisonment
1:24:10 The artwork of Oh Yoon
1:27:10 The color blue
1:31:25 Park Nohae and the world
1:37:50 Reading and translating Park Nohae
2:00:15 Recommendations
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Find us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Still Something So Beautiful by David Tizzard (Radical Gary)
사랑받지 못하는 공화국 (2024) was written by Professor Bryan Myers, a professor of international studies at Dongseo University in Busan. Anyone familiar with North Korean studies will be keenly aware of Myers and his work as he has written some excellent books on that subject, including The Cleanest Race and North Korea's Juche Myth. His latest book reveals two firsts: It’s his first written in Korean and it's his first that deals with South Korean politics. Myers has said that "the book's original thrust is the argument that the right neglected / still neglects the work of state-building, but most young people, being centrist or progressive, are just not interested in that issue." We’ll try and see if he achieved that or not.
The book: https://product.kyobobook.co.kr/detail/S000212218893
Myers' Blog: https://sthelepress.com/
In this conversation we are joined by Jacco Zwetsloot, host of the NK News Podcast, Park Kyunghoon (Charlie) for the third time, and Ko Eunbi from Seoul Women's University.
NK News podcast: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest
Jacco's Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaccoZed
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introductions
3:10 Do Koreans know when their republic began?
12:15 Is South Korea a republic or a nation?
29:30 The sinking of the ROKS Cheonan
35:15 Who are North Korea?
44:45 Korea as Anti-Japanese
1:05:35 Park Chung-hee as a benevolent dictator?
1:18:10 The American hegemony of Korean Studies
1:21:23 Reading Korean history written by a foreigner
1:30:05 Personal narratives
1:35:35 Does the SK left love North Korea?
1:43:05 Closing thoughts
1:57:15 Tattoos
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Find us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
Park Chan-wook is a master of movie making. And he's seemingly getting better with age. Leaving the sex and violence of previous hits such as Oldboy, JSA, and The Handmaiden behind him, Decision to Leave / 헤어질 결심 (2022) explores the relationship between a Korean man and a Chinese woman, completely incompatible, seemingly madly in love, and destined to destroy each other. These two roles are played expertly by Tang Wei and Park Hae-il.
"The moment you said you loved me, your love ended. And the moment your love ended, my love began.”
The movie is a piece of art: a poem. It encourages you to watch it multiple times, with each viewing providing greater insight into the layers constructed: through sound, language, visuals, and mis-en-scene.
I sat down with two Korean women, Jimin and Yunsuh, and a Chinese woman, Jessie, to explore this movie from a variety of perspectives: art, beauty, gender, love, and morality. Each of them provided views and insights I would never have found myself. And yet, it still feels like there is so much that went unsaid.
Discussion Outline
0:00 First Impressions
13:40 Park Chan-wook and Gender
18:46 Park Chan-wook’s Style
25:45 Is Decision to Leave Romantic?
34:58 Asian Vibes: The Mountains and the Sea
43:06 Tang Wei
1:08:25 Poetry, Yeokbek, and McGuffins
1:19:30 The Ending of the Movie
1:38:50 Haejoon: The Male Lead
1:59:52 Park Chan Wook and the Oscars
2:08:00 A movie, a Book, a Song
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Find us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
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▶ Music: Rail Gun by Disorientalz
Bernardo Kastrup is the executive director of Essentia Foundation. His work has been leading the modern renaissance of metaphysical idealism, the notion that reality is essentially mental. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy and another Ph.D. in computer engineering. As a scientist, Bernardo has worked for CERN and Philips Research Laboratories. Bernardo's 11th book, coming in 2024, is 'Analytic Idealism in a Nutshell: A straightforward summary of the 21st-century's only plausible metaphysics.'
This is me listening to Bernardo and asking him questions so as to better understand the world as mind. To do this, we explored what it means to be human. Bernardo explained the work of Nietzsche, Frankl, Schopenhauer, and Jung to me as well as how a bourgeoise has sought to wrest control of our culture away from the church and ultimately leave us stranded, meaningless, and seeking solutions elsewhere.
Bernardo taught me that we should not seek answers or solutions. These will never appear to us and we simply don't have the capability to understand what is going on. Instead, like the apple blossom in his garden, we should just be. We should listen to the noumena, the will inside us. We can describe it as duty, as calling, as fate, or as many other things. But ultimately, we are a violin and we should allow ourselves to be played by nature rather than seeking to force ourselves on the world. We should seek service instead of personal happiness. These ideas will stay with me for a while.
At the end, I asked him to recommend a movie, a book, and a song. The movie he suggested was The Double Life of Véronique (1991) by Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski. The song was Song to the Siren by Cocteau Twins vocalist Elizabeth Fraser. The book was Schopenhauer's The World as Will and Representation.
Bernardo's Website: https://www.bernardokastrup.com/
The Essentia Foundation: https://www.youtube.com/@UCHKZdDf09_8vVHm102fu0sg
Bernardo's upcoming book: https://www.amazon.com/Analytic-Idealism-Nutshell-straightforward-metaphysics/dp/1803416696
Discussion Outline:
0:00 The importance of service
7:40 The bourgeoisie capture of culture
12:33 Immanent meaning
25:35 Spiritual but not religious
31:00 Carl Jung and our two stages of life
41:58 Introspection as the royal path to knowledge
48:15 Schopenhauer and the will inside us
54:52 Synchronicity 1:05:03 Religion and science
1:16:58 The world as mind
1:26:10 A book, a movie, and a song
1:31:10 The apple blossom
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Yunseo Jeon: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Find us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Rail Gun by Disorientalz
William S. Gilbert is doing PhD research on Korean Taoism's syncretic qualities at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea. He completed his Master's in Korean Philosophy at Sungkyunkwan University in 2024 and was a graduate research assistant for the Korean Academic Expansion Project.
This is a conversation about Taoism, "Eastern" religions and ways of thought, life, death, god, and the poetry of the Korean scholar Yi Gyu-bo (李奎報).
Discussion Outline
0:00 What is Taoism (도교)?
9:10 What is the Yin Yang (음양)?
22:09 What is Wu-wei (무의)?
32:50 Zen Buddhism (선불교) and Taoism
43:05 The Tao Te Ching (도덕경)
53:20 The Zhuangzi (정자)
1:03:11 Is there such thing as Asian thought?
1:15:52 Does Taoism feature in modern life?
1:29:40 Yi Gyu-bo (이규보)’s poem “In Sickness”
1:45:14 The “Creator” in Taoist thought
2:08:40 Closing thoughts
Will's Website: https://sites.google.com/view/williamgilbert/home
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Yunseo Jeon: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Find us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Savage Penguin by Radical Gary (David Tizzard)
Cho Ye-won and Jeon Yunseo are students at Seoul Women's University while Park Kyung-hoon (Charlie) studies at Hanyang University. They discuss the best and worst things about living in Seoul, from the safety, the beauty standards, the gender differences, the economic challenges, and much more. They also talk about why some young Koreans want to move abroad.
Discussion Outline
0:00 Do Young People Talk about 탈조선?
3:30 What are Traditional Korean Values?
8:45 What Do Koreans Want from Living Abroad?
19:30 The Best Things About Living in Seoul
27:15 Does Gender Affect Your Life in Korea?
34:45 The Social Gaze (남의 시선) in Korea
37:00 How Do You Feel About Foreigners Coming to Korea?
47:00 Appearance and Personal Colour Tests
55:15 Is Comparison Culture Real?
1:05:55 The Economic Reality of Seoul
1:15:40 Using Korean Titles
1:20:45 The Rise of 평어
1:27:20 Message to People Leaving Korea
1:43:36 Being Gay in Korea
1:48:05 Yewon's Last Message
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Yunseo Jeon: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Find us on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/koreadeconstructed
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: The Reoccurring Peace Machine by Radical Gary (David Tizzard)
Jeanie Chang is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. Jeanie is also the Founder and CEO of Noona’s Noonchi, LLC, a global company offering social media platforms providing deep dives into K-Content from a mental health perspective. In Korea to promote her tours and her latest book (How K-Dramas Can Transform Your Life), we sat down with her to discuss life, culture, society, identity, and, of course, K-Dramas.
Jeanie's Website: https://noonasnoonchi.com/
Her book: https://www.amazon.com/K-Dramas-Mental-Health-Jeanie-Chang/dp/1394210477
Discussion Outline
0:00 Life in Seoul
5:39 Watching K-Dramas
33:23 Self-Care and Dramas
38:55 Mental Health and Gender
43:10 Antifragility
47:47 Generational Change in Korea
53:06 The Korean American Identity
1:16:40 Military Service and BTS
1:25:33 My Mister (나의 아지씨)
1:37:22 Jeong and Nunchi
1:49:20 Collective Society and Titles
2:01:55 Emotions in Korean Society
2:11:39 Shame and Redemption
2:20:47 K-Pop Idols and Karina's Apology
2:28:41 Is Hallyu's Popularity Declining?
2:47:37 Dr. Slump
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Yunseo Jeon: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Tokyo Cafe by Tvari
John DiMoia is Associate Professor of Korean History at Seoul National University, South Korea. He is the author of Reconstructing Bodies: Biomedicine, Health, and Nation-Building in South Korea since 1945 (2013)
Discussion Outline
0:00 What is History?
7:20 Korean Medicine
30:30 Plastic Surgery
39:30 Korea and the Pandemic
57:05 Korean Health
1:00:10 The Joseon Dynasty
1:27:30 Japanese Colonization
1:50:00 The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
2:09:33 The Division of Korea
2:26:55 Seoul National University
2:36:07 The Future of Korea
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Reconstructing-Bodies-Biomedicine-Nation-Building-Weatherhead/dp/0804784116
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Yunseo Jeon: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
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At the age of sixteen, Anton discovered Taekwondo in his native Germany. From there, he began exploring Buddhism only to be told by a visiting monk that if he wanted to truly understand it, he would have to visit Korea. Anton then embarked on a journey of practice and discovery in Korea in 1994, initially intending to stay for just a year. This conversation took place in 2024, thirty years later.
Anton has regularly appeared on television during his time here. He has also worked as a producer for the German public broadcaster ARD, offered his expertise as a business consultant, taught at a university, and sought to capture the essence of Korean society as a documentary filmmaker. He has also just written a book in Korean, 한국인들의 이상한 행복, which sheds a critical light on many of the country's social problems. This book was what prompted our discussion today.
Anton's Book: https://product.kyobobook.co.kr/detail/S000001297085
Discussion Outline
0:00 Foundations 1: Taekwondo
11:02 Foundations 2: Buddhism
54:10 The Strange Unhappiness of Korean People
59:17 Education
1:31:27 The Home
1:41:08 Seoul
1:52:22 Korean History
2:23:00 Anton Speaking Korean
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Yunseo Jeon: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Hack to Work by Disorientalz
서늘한 여름밤 (Lee Seo-hyun) is a South Korean writer and psychological counseling planner. She received her Master's Degree from the Department of Psychology at Korea University in 2015, and then became a counselor at a large hospital. She soon began drawing and recording her thoughts before then uploading them on the internet. This led to her also starting a popular podcast and authoring 3 different books. In 2017, she established the psychological counseling center ‘Every Mind’. Today, her Instagram and YouTube content reaches countless thousands, providing solace, honesty, and the message for Korean people that, "It's okay".
We spoke with her about her recent appearance on Mark Manson's YouTube video declaring Korean people to be the most depressed in the world. We then spoke about trauma, anxiety, perfectionism, the self, fear of failure, micro aggressions, and much more.
Find her work online
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seobam_breeze/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UC7Z6ogmq-3N9KoNACH10Hlg
1-on-1 Coaching: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfEruSwPi33wmq9j35_oKaAhg3sfaPC0XoT2siRzQcpwD1ieQ/viewform
Discussion Outline
0:00 Generations of War Trauma
2:05 Is Korea the Most Depressed Country in the World?
8:17 What Does Depression Look Like?
13:40 Who Is Most Susceptible to Depression?
16:10 Why Is Our New Generation More Open to Mental Health?
17:40 Psychotherapy and Trauma
22:25 Minorities and Depression
25:25 Drugs and Mental Health
31:45 Are We Becoming too Fragile?
33:25 서늘한 여름밤's Insta and Online Content
43:10 Ego and the Self
48:10 Perfectionism
52:00 The Steps to Self Compassion
55:30 Our Inner Child
1:00:35 The Public Gaze (남의 시선)
1:04:00 Social Media
1:10:40 Psychological Coaching
1:14:35 Breaking Taboos around Mental Health in SK
1:16:50 AI and Mental Health
1:18:45 Toxic Masculinity
1:24:10 Is it Hard to be a Psychologist?
1:27:33 강박 - Being Obsessive
1:29:53 Childhood
1:35:30 Closing Comments
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Yunseo Jeon: https://www.instagram.com/y_jeon_s/
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
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▶ Music: Mindstrap by David Tizzard
In communicating with each other before this conversation, Robert asked me to explain certain aspects of Korean culture to him. If you find yourself frustrated that we sometimes hear more about Korea than his own work, I completely agree with you and apologize. Nevertheless, that was part of what was established. My sense is that he also might have wanted a break from explaining his latest book to everyone. We’ve since realized that we need to look more into the rice production in Korea and I hope that we can find out more of if and how that might have affected Korean culture, particularly in terms of interdependency and human relationships.
I highly recommend his latest book Determined. It genuinely made me rethink much of what I see around me. And, even if you don’t find yourself ultimately convinced by his argument concerning free will, you will still learn lots and be treated to writing that is as comfortable making jokes and never taking itself too seriously as it is explaining the hard science.
Bio: Robert Sapolsky is a professor of biology, neuroscience, and neurosurgery at Stanford University, well-known for his research on stress and behavior in wild baboons, as well as his studies on the physiology of the brain. His approach to understanding the complexities of human behavior has made him a respected figure in both the scientific and popular science communities. His latest book, Determined, argues that it is time for us to remove agency from our behavior and stop attributing praise and blame to people for things over which they often have very little control.
Determined: https://www.amazon.com/Determined-Science-Life-without-Free/dp/0525560971
My favourite lecture from him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRYcSuyLiJk
Discussion Outline
0:00 How Did Korea Get Here?
7:15 Rice Theory of Culture
13:55 Do We Have Free Will?
32:56 Changing Morality
37:00 Birthrates
45:15 Transhumanism?
54:40 Death
1:03:45 Closing Questions
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Mindstrap by David Tizzard
Tanner Rogers is a 2023-24 Fulbright U.S. Student Program Winner. His research consists of the literary analysis of fictional texts produced during the Park Chung Hee era (1961-1979), particularly focusing on the development of “space” in its various physical and conceptual forms, and how texts engage with the rapid urbanization and industrialization of cities like Seoul and Incheon during this time.
We spoke about books, life, and Korea.
This episode again featuring Jeon Yunseo
Instagram: @y_jeon_s
Discussion Outline
0:00 Tanner's Introduction to Korea
15:55 The Park Chung-hee Era
40:05 Korean Literature
53:44 The Dwarf (난장이가 쏘아 올린 작은 공)
1:11:08 The Concept of Han
1:18:05 Hwang Sok-yong
1:36:34 Changing Korean Traditions
1:55:50 The Concept of Space
2:12:05 The Urbanization of Korean Space
2:25:35 1970s Korea vs 2024 Korea
2:36:25 Book Recommendations
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Mindstrap by David Tizzard
▶ Recorded at 허브 36.5: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/
Can Korean people speak English? That was the question we explored in this discussion. Three young women studying at Seoul Women's University in South Korea talked about their own experiences of learning a foreign language and how it ultimately became something more than just education or study.
Hyun Minjung is a second-year student in the Department of Child Studies
Eo Gyeongin is a first-year student in the Department of Applied Food System
Jeon Yunseo is a first-year student in the Department of Journalism and Media
This episode again featuring Jeon Yunseo
Find them on Instagram
Yunseo: @y_jeon_s
Minjung: @llovnj
Gyeongin: @djurbyrfish
Discussion Outline
0:00 Encountering English for the First Time
7:50 Was English ever hard?
13:35 What kind of English Accent?
25:45 Learning English in Korea
34:15 Is there a Socio-Economic Aspect to English in Korea?
40:50 Having an English Name?
48:14 Korean Celebrities Speaking English
53:30 Interacting with Foreigners
1:01:20 Swearing in English
1:07:13 Is English more Democratic than Korean?
1:14:28 Would you Date Someone Who can't Speak English?
1:23:00 How to Learn English Online?
1:30:50 Advice for Learning English
1:47:40 Changing Korean Identity
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Fighting by Disorientalz (https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/)
▶ Recorded at 허브 36.5: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/
ID:Earth is a singer, songwriter, and music producer from Seoul, Korea. She sings about human civilization, existence, birth, and the Earth with her music providing a fantastic backdrop for these explorations. Her latest album Space Station was released on December 12, 2023. We sat down with her to learn more about her music, her life, and being an artist in South Korea. ID:Earth Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamidearth/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCVo9uVMP5JWUfXQh_hUDK0g
Her latest album Space Station: https://www.melon.com/artist/song.htm?artistId=2622503
Discussion Outline*
0:00 The Birth of ID: Earth
14:18 “Aliens”
22:18 Finding a Minimalist Sound
27:18 Being an Artist in South Korea
35:23 “Fire”
41:57 Writing Choruses
48:18 Creating OSTs for Dramas and Movies
1:03:21 “Sky Where You Are”
1:06:40 People’s Brains
1:10:37 ID:Earth’s Favourite Song
1:17:25 What ID:Earth is Listening to These Days
1:21:34 ID:Earth’s Plans for 2024
1:26:00 Advice for Young Artists
1:28:22 Message to the Fans
*Due to copyright reasons on audio platforms, we had to remove the audio of the 3 songs we played in the studio. You can find the tracks on YouTube or anywhere else.
This episode again featuring Jeon Yunseo
Find her on Instagram: @y_jeon_s
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Fighting by Disorientalz (https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/)
▶ Recorded at 허브 36.5: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/
Having just finished a semester teaching 9 different classes at Seoul Women’s University and Hanyang University, I thought I’d end the year sharing some of the theories and thoughts I’ve been exploring with my students. This includes David Matsumoto’s work on culture, Han Byung Chul’s explorations of modernity and psychology, and Mark Fisher’s assertion that we are witnessing the slow cancellation of the future. These three frameworks seem to resonate with the students and, whether they agree with them or not, they all seem to have taken them on-board and understood them.
There was much more I wanted to include here, including the rice theory of culture, explorations of cultural appropriation and pronouns in Korea, multiculturalism, the LGBTGQ community and contact hypothesis, but time got the better of me during the finals season. I’ll return to these again at some point in 2024.
I have a lot of fantastic guests already lined-up for the new year so normal service will resume very shortly. This was just a special little way of saying thank you and Merry Christmas.
Discussion Outline
0:00 David Matsumoto
23:00 Han Byung Chul
42:30 Was Korean Modernity Worth it?
52:55 Mark Fisher
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Fighting by Disorientalz (https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/)
▶ Recorded at 허브 36.5: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/
Koryo Saram refers to the ethnic Koreans who migrated to the Russian Far East and Central Asia, particularly Kazakhstan, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The migration was mainly a result of economic opportunities and political instability in the Korean Peninsula during that period. But beyond the political and historical existence, there are people. Daniil and Yona are two of these people both trying to find their way in modern Korean society. Their identities, language skills, and feelings towards their homeland are very different, yet they relate to each other. With the help of Yunseo, we explored what it means to be a Koryo Saram and discovered much along the way.
Find them online/instagram
Pak Yona: @pkyo1
Daniil: @dnlyeux
Yunseo: @y_jeon_s
고려인 Youth Organization: https://www.instagram.com/ks.youthwave/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
대한고려인협회: https://www.instagram.com/koryosaraminkorea/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
Overseas Koreans: https://www.okocc.or.kr/portal_en/global/okf_webzine.do
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introducing the Koryo Saram
25:00 Leaving Moscow: War and Politics
33:15 University and Visas
39:42 Language and Culture
45:30 Appearance and Visuals
53:33 Famous Koryo Saram in Pop Culture
59:20 Multicultural Korea
1:05:00 The Geography of Koryo Saram
1:11:30 North Korea
1:22:50 Misconceptions about Koryo Saram
1:42:50 Final Observations
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Fighting by Disorientalz (https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/)
▶ Recorded at 허브 36.5: https://www.instagram.com/the_story_from_you/
Bart van Genugten is a Dutchman with a passion for people, history, stories, and 분위기 (atmosphere). His recent project, Welcome to my Dong, looks to explore all of Seoul's 467 dongs (neighborhoods) and it has proved incredibly successful online, with millions of views, countless stories, and a host of well wishers. Bart is keeping history alive amidst a rapidly changing urban culture and it is no surprise that many of his greatest fans are Koreans themselves.
During his journey, Bart is also discovering himself. Coming to terms with mental health, online identity, his Dutch family, and his place in Korean society. He is also a published author, cowriting a book (직항은 없다) with his wife, 김휘아, describing his experiences in Pyongyang with his father.
Find Bart online
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iGoBart
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/igobart_/
Discussion
0:00 Korean life and drinking culture
18:10 Welcome to my Dong
42:13 The ethics of filming people
45:10 Online success
1:00:45 The people of Seoul
1:13:00 Does Hallyu help?
1:17:26 North Korea
1:35:55 Subtitles and Content
1:41:49 Working with your wife
1:52:28 Fans of the channel
1:55:53 Mental health
2:06:50 The beauty of Korea
Thanks to 전윤서 for some help with this episode
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Fighting by Disorientalz (https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/)
Jasmyn Kim is doing a PhD at Yonsei University in the Department of Sport Industry Studies, she is a pole dance instructor at Tara Pole Dance in Jong-ro, and she also teaches a Yoga course at Yonsei University. Her academic research focuses on body image and the gendered nature of pole dance as a modern Korean fitness phenomenon, and the physical and psychological effects it can have on women. In this conversation, we explore how and why pole dance has become so popular in South Korea and, in the process, transcended the reputation it had in the 1990s. If I spoke a bit too much during this one, please blame it on the coffee. I'm always working hard to become a better listener, host, and conversationalist, so please be patient with me. I'm trying.
Jasmyn Online
-
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/jazzyxbelle
-
Tara Pole Dance: https://www.instagram.com/tarapoledance
-
Academic Research:
https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2022.2138511 https://doi.org/10.1080/07399332.2022.2132252
Discussion Outline
0:00 Pole dancing
10:00 Why did it get popular?
17:00 Who is pole dancing?
32:50 Cultural aspects of pole
37:00 Academia and the pole
43:05 Gender and Pole Dancing
55:40 Identity and Korea
1:17:25 Yoga
1:38:30 Social media and life
1:50:20 Dealing with body image
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: Savage Penguin by David Tizzard
Although this started as a conversation about Gwangju and Professor Don Baker’s experiences there starting in 1971, including witnessing the aftermath of the massacre in 1980, we quickly understood there was much more for us to explore. This includes Don’s impressions of Kim Dae-jung, gender and women in the Joseon Dynasty, Korea’s historical relationship with China, Confucianism and ancestor worship, the effects of Japanese colonization, and the field of Korean Studies more broadly.
It was completely spontaneous, but I also noted the following people and their work referenced throughout this conversation, demonstrating the depth and breadth of Don’s knowledge: Alexis Dudden, Dave C Kang, Alexander Woodside, Jisoo Kim, Hyaeweol Choi, Carter Eckert, Andre Schmid, Jahyun Kim Haboush, Gregory Henderson, Robert Carlin, Eugene Park, Michael Seth, John Jorgensen, Kim Sun Joo, BR Myers, Bruce Cumings, James Palais, Mark Peterson, John Duncan, Steve Shields, and David Dolinger.
Despite knowing the tragedy and violence taking place in Gwangju, Don snuck into the city to find his friends and understand what was really happening. His descriptions of the attacks and murder that took place in Gwangju are heartbreaking to listen to. And through all of this, he nevertheless finishes with words of hope and positivity.
Discussion Outline
0:00 Unpacking Gwangju
6:00 Kim Dae-jung
10:20 1970s Korea
20:50 On Confucianism
24:30 Korean Studies
30:00 The Joseon Dynasty
38:50 Japanese Colonization and Collaboration
51:55 Korean Studies and Factions
1:08:50 Confucianism vs Catholicism (Ancestor Worship)
1:15:30 The Assassination of Park Chung-hee 1979
1:21:40 The Gwangju Massacre 1980
1:47:00 American Involvement in Gwangju
1:55:30 Representations of Gwangju
2:03:46 Conclusions on Life and Korea
Dr. Baker's Books
- A Korean Confucian’s Advice on How to Be Moral: Tasan Chŏng Yagyong’s Reading of the Zhongyong (University of Hawaii Press, 2023)
- Catholics and Anti-Catholicism in Chosŏn Korea (University of Hawaii Press) with Franklin Rausch. May, 2017
- Korean Spirituality (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2008)
- Chosŏn Hugi Yugyo wa Ch’ŏnjugyo ŭi Taerip [The Confucian Confrontation with Catholicism in the Latter Half of the Chosŏn Dynasty] (Seoul: Iljogak Publishing Co., 1997)
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube:/davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/kr/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128
▶Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zdXkG0aAAHnDwOvd0jXEE
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
▶ Music: https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/
Steve first came to Korea in 1975 and continues his life-long love of the land of the morning calm. He has been a missionary, pastor, and leadership development officer. He has years of experience in translations and editing, has several published books and dozens of scholarly papers to his credit, mostly in theology and the religious history of the United States. He is a life member of Royal Asiatic Society Korea, served on the board of directors for many years, two terms as vice president, and is now serving a second term as president.
Discussion Outline
0:00 Coming to Korea in the 1970s
15:00 On the Korean Language
27:00 Life under Park Chung-hee
36:30 Changing economic conditions
51:20 Who was Park Chung-hee?
1:08:00 Choi Kyu-ha and life after Park
1:27:40 The Royal Asiatic Society
1:52:50 Christianity and Korea
2:30:20 The Youth of Korea
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast...
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music: Radical Gary - K-Invisible
This episode contains a lot of explicit language. If you are interested, the YouTube video features hundreds of photos of the bands, venues, and people we talk about.
Trash is a musician, designer, and tattoo artist who has been part of the Korean punk scene for two decades. Here, she talks about how she discovered underground subculture in her late teens and then watched it develop over the years. She describes the community's most important bands and people, as well as those who others might have forgotten along the way. The conversation also reveals how every time punk rock becomes mainstream in Korea something comes along to force it back underground. Much of my own twenties and thirties are a blur, but I played a lot of the same shows and venues with Trash. That she continues to keep the flame alive is a testament to her passion and desire for this scene. Find more of Trash's music, art, and work online Band (...Whatever That Means): https://www.instagram.com/wtmpunk/ Record label (World Domination Inc): https://www.wdikorea.com/ Tattoo shop (Rebellion Inc): https://www.instagram.com/rebellionin... Festival: https://ko.wdikorea.com/itsafest Discussion Outline: 0:00 Who is Trash? 6:56 The TV incident 14:25 The scene's early days 45:25 Crying Nut, Rux, and No Brain 57:50 BB Lucky Town 1:05:00 ...Whatever That Means 1:33:23 Starting a record label 1:50:16 Creating a festival 2:00:26 Life as a tattoo artist Many of the photos used are taken with permission and thanks from Ken Robinson and Juyoung Lee. If another photo is yours, thank you. Happy to credit you where necessary. Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873 ▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast... ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com... ▶ Music: Tampus Dusk - Tailspin
“People sleep peacefully in their beds because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” George Orwell
Park Kyung Hoon (박경훈), Park Inu (박인우), and Lee Seung-il (이승일) are three South Korean men who have all recently completed their mandatory military service. One served in the Navy on the south coast, one in an administrative office, and one as a sniper in the DMZ. In this conversation they share their psychological and physical experiences of being called up by the government to complete more than 500 days of compulsory service. While their paths were all different, they were able to relate to each other in terms of the forced nature of the service, the apps that soldiers use, the boot camps they endured, and the separation and isolation they felt. The one enduring message to be taken from listening to them is that though few, if any, men want to complete this national obligation, because they do, the rest of us are able to live peacefully.
Conversation Chapters
0:00 getting enlisted and physical check-ups
18:00 when do people normally choose to serve?
22:25 boot camp
36:36 getting to base
48:40 500 days left and phone usage
52:50 being a sniper at the DMZ
1:02:50 Patriotism and Korean feelings
1:09:00 Going on Leave and military punishments
1:18:00 Getting out the military
1:27:50 Gratitude and respect for men that serve
1:37:55 Should women be conscripted too?
1:49:30 Should celebrities be exempt?
1:55:00 Charlie’s punishments
2:06:40 Closing thoughts
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast...
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music: Radical Gary - The Reoccurring Peace Machine
Choi Isu is a young South Korean woman who has a vision of a better world. She believes in communication, community, and education. Measures that will stop the fragmentation of society and isolation experienced by some people today. Much of this worldview has been informed by her own educational experiences. Attending Ewoo High School, she received an alternative education focused on discussion and student-based learning rather than the rote memorization required elsewhere.
I've known Isu for around 6 months and continue to be amazed by her courage, personality, and willingness to venture into the unknown. When we talk about Korean Gen Z and youth, we would do well to remember examples like Isu. At the end of the podcast, you can even hear a hip-hop track we made together with help from Kevin.
"In our present culture, we have become accustomed to putting new wine into old bottles and hoping that we can make the new conform to the pattern of the old. But that which is truly new is not recognizable by the old, and the old becomes a hindrance to the new. If we do not see the new, it is not because it is not there, but because we are anchored to the old, and the old, being repetitive, makes us dull, weary, and insensitive."
Discussion Outline
0:00 Alternative Education in Korea
12:22 University
19:00 Suneung (SATs)
27:20 Changing the World
40:00 AI and Chat GPT
46:00 MBTIs and fortune tellers
1:03:30 Do young Korean people still care about Confucianism?
1:20:20 Love and Romance in Gen Z
1:40:26 Main worries and pleasures
1:58:50 Feminism and Safety
2:09:00 What do Gen Z do apart from go to Cafes?
Isu's column in the Korea Times https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2023/08/715_354531.html
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast...
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music: We Shoot Back (feat. Isu)
Dr. Kim Kyung-jin was born in 1936. He grew up in Manchuria speaking Japanese at school, Korean at home, and then Chinese in the street. Before class, all students had to face Tokyo, bow, and pledge their allegiance to the Japanese empire. He said he would see people dead on the streets on his way to school, overdosed on opium. He was also there when the last Chinese emperor, the boy Puyi, passed through in 1943. Everyone was meant to bow and avert their eyes but he reckons he had a good gander.
When the second world war ended in 1945 and the Russians were coming into the area, the Japanese ordered them to retreat so they got on a train headed South towards Seoul. He left his dad at the station and never saw him again. About 10 years ago, a local historian tracked down old news reports from the 1930s and 1940s that featured his dad so he could remember what he looked like.
When they got back to Seoul, he started his hobbies of ice-skating, rugby, and singing. He went to school but the Korean War soon started in 1950 with the North Korean communists invading. While the communists ruled Seoul, he survived by teaching new recruits to the North Korean army patriotic songs (otherwise they'd kill him). He still remembers those songs and sings one of them for us. After that, as the war changed direction, he got picked up by the Americans because he could help them translate road signs in English, Japanese, and Korean. He followed them because they had better food and they were nice to him.
Then, in 1960, the war had ended and the country was struggling to become the democracy it is today and there were national demonstrations trying to kick out South Korea's first president. Dr. Kim was downtown in Seoul at the famous protests all kids today learn about in the books when he was shot in the arm by a Korean policeman with an M1 rifle. Still has the scar and he showed me it today. Pretty ironic that he survived the Russians, the Japanese, the North Koreans, and the Americans, and it was eventually one of his own, a South Korean, that shot him.
He lived through colonization, war, and dictatorship but he still smiles, laughs, and has a super positive outlook on life. He speaks multiple languages. He has done a Masters, a PhD, and has been the conductor of an orchestra for the past 40-odd years. He reckons he walks 13,000 steps a day to stay healthy.
What a dude! Absolutely floored me.
Big thank you to Professor Sam Denny (Associate Professor, Department of English Education at Sangmyung University) for arranging this for us and joining us on the podcast.
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast...
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music: Tampas Dusk - Sharks (Fade Out of Sight)
Dr. Fouser leads a fascinating and eye-opening exploration into the ideology, values, and activism of Korean students in the 1980s. He discusses and demonstrates the agency of that generation when contrasted to the people of today. He talks about 사대문안 as the traditional center of Seoul and how it's changing over time, with things moving south of the river as well as emerging migrant communities. The Korean language and Dr. Fouser’s experiences of writing 5 books in Korean and regular Korean-language columns for various national newspapers are also explored.
Robert J. Fouser was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He holds a B.A. in Japanese language and literature, an M.A. in applied linguistics, both from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in applied linguistics from Trinity College Dublin. He writes frequently on Korean society and culture and has been active in promoting hanok preservation.
Conversation Outline
0:00 Generations in Korea
6:40 Was the 386 Generation Leftist/Marxist?
28:50 Post-Democratization Korea
38:16 Modern Korea
1:04:10 The City of Seoul: 사대문안
1:28:28 The Korean Language
1:54:28 Does Han exist?
1:58:28 The Future of Korea: Resistance and Change
2:16:55 Lessons from life
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast...
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music by me
Dr. Sooyeon (Aly) Suh is a clinical health psychologist and professor of psychology at Sungshin University. She is also the author of the book 엄마의 잠 걱정을 잠재우는 책.
Our conversation explored the science and psychology of sleep in the modern world and how this has interacted with particular aspects of Korean culture, including co-sleeping, children's mental health, gender, sex, and social media.
Dr. Suh's book: https://www.yes24.com/Product/Goods/105054567
Find her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dralysuh
Discussion Outline
0:00 How much do Koreans sleep?
19:12 Korean children's sleep
24:50 Co-sleeping in Korea
38:40 Taemong (pre-natal dreams)
41:20 Gender and sleep in Korea
53:29 Wearables and sleep
1:02:54 Scrolling past bedtime: social media
1:20:40 Sleep Clinics
1:27:12 Psychological insomnia treatment
1:35:31 Sleep paralysis
1:50:12 Is sleep psychological or physical?
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast...
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music by me: Radical Gary - The Reoccurring Peace Machine
David Mason is not only a vessel of wisdom, he is also a masterful storyteller. In just over two hours, he explains how people came to the Korean Peninsula, how Buddhism arrived from China, how it interacted with the indigenous Shamanism, the ideological conflicts and discussions the various schools of thought generated, the creation of the Jogye Order and the Taego Order, Master Songchul, how drugs affect the development of spirituality, how Sansin is Tangun, and much more...
He speaks honestly and from great experience. A conversation it felt a pleasure to be a part of and a follow-up discussion on Taoism is already being planned.
David Mason is an American academic who first came to Korea in 1982. He has authored about 10 prominent books on Korean culture, spirituality, travel and mountains, and serves as a scholar, author, public speaker and tour guide.
Find him online, book a tour, buy a book, and much more
David Mason's Website: https://san-shin.org
Discussion Outline
0:00 How did you get into spirituality?
5:24 The religious mountains of Korea
13:20 What is Korean Buddhism?
31:50 The temples of Korea
42:32 Does Buddhism still have a role to play today?
52:22 Negative perceptions of Shamanism
1:07:06 The role of drugs in Korean shamanism
1:11:44 Sansin vs Tangun
1:19:28 Shamanism and gender
1:25:00 Illegal shamanism in modern Korea
1:28:26 The supreme patriarch: Master Seongchol
1:38:25 Shaman temples you can visit today
1:44:25 Religion as psychological comfort in modern society
1:51:05 Park Chung-hee and the national parks of Korea
1:57:36 Personal enlightenment
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast...
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music by me: Radical Gary - The Reoccurring Peace Machine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAkVRbH8eyg
Mr. Hank Morris first arrived in Korea in 1972. This conversation takes him back to that time, recounting the sights, the smells, the people, the food and the accommodation. From the cars to the beer houses, Hank has seen more than most. Here, just before he leaves the country and returns to the United States, he shares his memories.
Despite being under strict instruction not the hit the table, Mr. Morris still punctuated various parts of his stories with his hands. Do please forgive him for the occasional thud. It was his first podcast.
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast...
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music by me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAkVRbH8eyg
You might not think that perfume is your thing but this is a conversation about culture, history, authenticity, and finding out who we are as people. You’ll learn about important historical figures such as King Sejong the Great, Shin Saimdang, Admiral Lee Sun-shin, and Heo Nanseolheon, explore Korean food and geography, and also hear how this will all work in the future as the country and its people push towards the metaverse. Oh Hani is an artist, a poet, and a thinker, and this is worth sticking with in order to discover the true beauty of her views on Korea.
Find Oh Hani online
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/haninalda
Youtube: https://youtu.be/W4YpYmBsFhE
Heroes of Korea: https://www.heroesofkorea.com
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
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▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music by Disorientalz: https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz
Will Topley: https://www.willtopley.com/portraits
Dr. Michael W. Hurt is a photographer and professor living, shooting, and researching in Seoul. He received his doctorate from UC Berkeley’s Department of Comparative Ethnic Studies. He also started Korea’s first street fashion blog in 2006 and published the first English language book about Korean Fashion in 2009. He researches youth, street fashion, and digital subcultures in Seoul while lecturing on Cultural Theory and Art History. His present research focuses on using the camera to access and document emergent digital subcultures in Korea, including the political economy of the “pay model” on Korean Instagram, Seoul’s drag underground, and the youth-centric LGBTQ movement in Korea.
Our conversation focused on 90s fashion and culture, street photography, women as subjects/objects of fashion, heroin chic and 퇴폐미, Korean feminism, cultural appropriation, 부캐 vs 본캐, and Korean Studies as an academic field.
Michael's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seoulstreetstudios/
Michael's magazine: https://medium.com/seoulacious-magazine
9 minute: https://www.instagram.com/9minuite/
Discussion Outline
0:00 Early Days: Jeju in the 1990s
15:00 90s vibes and street culture
26:35 Street photography
39:00 Women as the subject and object of fashion
52:20 Photo editing vs reality: ethnography
59:24 Heroin chic and 퇴폐미
1:12:00 School girl concepts and smoking
1:22:40 Korean models and prices
1:36:13 Korean feminism
1:40:04 9 minute (구분)
1:48:36 Cultural appropriation
2:02:52 Korean Studies and Academia
2:14:45 부캐 vs 본캐
2:27:13 The perfect Confucian scholar
2:30:34 Hallyu: dead or alive?
2:35:15 Misunderstandings on Korea
2:36:50 The LGBTQ community in Korea
2:42:45 Race in Korea
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: /davidtizzard
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▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music by me haha (big thanks to Lee Hyunjung for the vox)
Cho Hyunjee is a dancer, a debater, and a young Korean woman willing to speak up for herself in a society that has often shown a great deal of disrespect to her gender. In this conversation she talks about when she first became conscious of this discrimination and the people who inspired her to rise above it. She also talks passionately about dance as a form of expression, individuality, and culture. Vogue dance in Korea might not be making international headlines yet but she believes it has the potential to grow and grow. We also talk about books that inspire us and some of the things that Korea does get right as a country.
Discussion Outline
0:00 Recognizing Gender Discrimination
12:43 Microagressions and Bias
22:58 The Future and the Job Market
34:08 The Power of Books
44:18 University Life
52:23 Misperceptions and Mental Health
56:12 Korean Vogue (Dance)
1:22:50 Dance Sports
1:34:58 What Does Korea do Well?
1:43:00 Korean Youth
Find Hyunjee online
Instagram @hjromy1
Dance sports @la_cha_ta_20
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
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▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music by Kev at Disorientalz. https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/
Episode 50 is......me!!
Or rather it's a conversation I had with Alex Sigrist early on a Monday morning in a studio in downtown Seoul for Arirang Radio. I had so much fun doing it and thought that some of the ideas and content would make for a great introduction for some people to Korean philosophy.
I briefly address the 일체유심조(一切唯心造) of Buddhism and then try to explain the debate between principle (理) and material force (氣) that dominated the Joseon Dynasty (1392 - 1897).
So....here it is. It's audio only. Normal service and conversations about Korea will resume soon. Thank you for everything.
Discussion Outline
0:00 Thank You
3:15 Introduction to Philosophy
9:40 Korean Thought and History
18:13 Neo-Confucianism: Li and Gi
27:43 Mencius and Good vs Evil
31:55 Philosophy of the Caste System
Alex on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/itsalexsigrist
DailyK: https://www.instagram.com/arirangdailyk/
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast...
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music by Kev at Disorientalz. https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/
Some of my earliest Korean experiences were shaped by reading Mike's books and columns. That I now get to speak to him, ask him questions, and join the conversation about Korea's democratization and political developments is still all rather surreal.
Michael Breen, Founder and CEO, lived in Korea for more than 30 years, working first as a journalist for The Guardian, The Times and The Washington Times before becoming a public relations consultant in 1994 with the Seoul office of the Burson Marsteller PR agency. He founded Insight Communications in 2004. He is the author of two books on Korea, including “The Koreans,” which was selected as one of the best books on the country by the Financial Times and Korea JoongAng Daily. Mike graduated with a degree in English literature and linguistics from Edinburgh University. He is a past president of the Seoul Foreign Correspondents Club and an honorary citizen of Seoul.
Mike's Books
The Koreans: https://www.amazon.com/Koreans-They-Where-Their-Future/dp/0312326092
The New Koreans: https://www.amazon.com/New-Koreans-Story-Nation/dp/1250065054
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast...
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music by Kev at Disorientalz. https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/
Jacco Zwetsloot has been the host of the NK News Podcast since 2018. He has interviewed a wide range of guests about their knowledge of and experience in North Korea, from celebrity defectors to high-ranking U.S. government officials. Jacco has a Master of Arts from Leiden University, for which he wrote a thesis on North Korean graphic novels.
This is a conversation in two parts - both of which are fascinating. The first sees Jacco recount details of his three trips to the capital of North Korea, Pyongyang. These bring to life the reality of travelling in and out of a country determined to control the flow of internal and external information. He provides keen insights into the reality of this system and the practices carried out. The second half sees us talk about South Korea - a country Jacco has called home for many years. Of particular interest is the conversation about movies and culture. He finishes our chat by suggesting unification of the peninsula is something that will happen - though when and by what means he remains unsure.
NK News Podcast: https://www.nknews.org/category/north-korea-news-podcast/latest
Jacco on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaccoZed
Discussion Outline
0:00 Explaining North Korea
32:57 The People of North Korea
46:49 NK News Podcast
1:05:18 NK News
1:14:07 South Korea
1:32:54 Korean Movies, Music, and Books
1:55:08 The Foreign Community
2:09:34 Advice for Young People
2:18:20 Unification
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music by Kev at Disorientalz. https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/
Dr. Olga Fedorenko is scholar of Korean Studies and anthropology of media at Seoul National University. Her research interests revolve around media and its connection to social and political life in contemporary South Korea.
Her book The Flower of Capitalism: South Korean Advertising At a Crossroads: https://uhpress.hawaii.edu/title/flow... T
his is a discussion about Korea, media, and the advertising landscape. Dr. Fedorenko also taught me a staple of anthropology: Find the strange in the familiar, and the familiar in the strange. I love this idea.
My next two conversations are in-person so Olga might be the last Zoom discussion that takes place on Korea Deconstructed. There's something about being in-person.
Discussion Outline
0:00 Early Experiences of Korea
8:47 Contemporary South Korea
19:17: The Liberalization of Korean Media
28:00 Life in a Korean Advertising Agency
47:40 Marxism in Academia and South Korea
54:00 Celebrities in South Korea
1:14:10 Advertising in Daily Life
1:31:30 Advice and the Future
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
▶ Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard
▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast...
▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music by Kev at Disorientalz. https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/
Philip Turner was appointed New Zealand Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (South Korea) in March 2018. He is concurrently Ambassador to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). He has spent decades in China, Japan, and Korea.
Discussion Outline
0:00 What is a diplomat?
24:30 Life in East Asia
45:00 Experiences with South Korea
1:09:13 Values at home and abroad
1:26:40 North Korea
1:32:57 Youth and the next generation
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
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▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music by Kev at Disorientalz. https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/
Colin Marshall's essays on on cities, language, and culture have appeared in publications like the New Yorker, the Guardian, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, whose Korea Blog he wrote for six years. He's now at work on a book of essays in Korean, and a book about Los Angeles in English.
Find Colin Online
Twitter: https://twitter.com/colinmarshall
Website: http://blog.colinmarshall.org/
Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmG7qCR4RSo
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
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▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music by Kev at Disorientalz. Check him out!
Haley Yang is a reporter at the Korea JoongAng Daily where she writes about culture, society, K-pop, and hallyu. This is a long conversation about Korean culture, society, and the people who live and engage with it. It's critical, humorous, and lots else in between. Come for the content, stay for the shade, leave with a smile.
Discussion Outline
0:00 Introduction
2:48 Writing about Hallyu
10:35 New Jeans and the K-pop Scene
43:20 Beauty Standards and Plastic Surgery
1:08:49 Dating and Sexuality
1:20:00 Social Media Love and Toxicity
1:42:40 Omega X and Corporate Abuse
1:54:00 Fetishization and Koreaboos
2:17:00 K-Content vs Korean Content
Find Haley on Twitter: https://twitter.com/haley_dose_of
Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/haleydoseof
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
▶ Music by Kev at Disorientalz. Check him out!
This is a conversation about behavioral patterns passed down over generations which then produce real-life manifestations of cultural concepts. We explore the symbiotic relationship between values, behavior, and material conditions as well as how acculturation takes place at different speeds in each domain. Dr. Kim explores culturally-bound syndromes such as hwabyeong (화병) and then explains the behavioral psychologist view of han (한), jeong (정), nunchi (눈치), and chaemyeon (체면). Paul Youngbin Kim is a Professor of Psychology at Seattle Pacific University. He received a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Notre Dame in 2010. His scholarly interests are in Asian and Asian American psychological processes, especially regarding the cultural, interpersonal, and individual factors that impact psychological outcomes such as mental health and attitudes toward seeking mental health help. His scholarly work has been published in some of the top academic journals of his field (e.g., Journal of Counseling Psychology, Asian American Journal of Psychology). Paul is Korean by birth but has lived outside of Korea since he was 10 years old. His cross-cultural experiences continue to inspire his scholarly endeavors.
Discussion Outline
0:00 Cultural Constructs
8:30 Korean Behavior
17:40 The Korean Concept of ‘Han’
21:47 Inter-Generational Trauma
33:15 Nunchi (눈치) and Gat-saeng (갓생)
39:16 Power distance and Hierarchy
42:20 Chaemyeon (체면)
47:20 Can Non-Korean People ‘get’ Korean cultural concepts?
53:05 Advice for young people
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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Peter Bint is a television and radio personality. With a Korean mother and a British father, he successfully navigates two cultures, building bridges and making friends along the way. He currently hosts a daily two-hour morning radio show and appears on MBC's United Fathers among many other things. This is a conversation about identity, language, multiculturalism, lookism, K-pop, fame, and children. Peter's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@peterbint338
Peter's Insta: https://www.instagram.com/peter_b83/?hl=en
United Fathers: https://mydramalist.com/738875-united-fathers
Discussion Outline
0:00 What Part of You is Korean?
16:00 Korean Ethnicity
25:22 The Korean Language
37:10 Modern Multiculturalism
44:07 Hallyu and its Effects
56:36 Lookism
1:06:13 K-Pop
1:16:05 Television and Fame
2:06:00 Raising Kids in Korea
2:13:41 Advice for Young People
2:21:20 Question for the Next Guest
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
When did Koreans become Korean? That is the question Dr. Henry Em, Associate Professor of History at Yonsei University, and I started exploring. It wasn’t planned. And it was difficult. But by then end of this, I think we got somewhere. And I got to know Henry more as a person. We’re talking about the creation of nation states, official narratives, the minjok, and actors as the subjects of history. About people. About Kim Ku, about Park Chung-hee, About status and gender in Korean history, post-colonialism, communism, North Korea, and memory and violence. We even talk about K-dramas.
Henry Em (임흥순) is associate professor of Asian Studies at Yonsei University, Underwood International College. He was born in Seoul, grew up in Chicago, and received his BA, MA, and PhD (History, 1995) from the University of Chicago. From 1995 to 2013, he was assistant professor at UCLA and University of Michigan, and associate professor at NYU. He was a Fulbright Senior Scholar to Korea (1998-1999) and Visiting Professor at Centre de Recherches sur la Corée, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris (2000). Professor Em began teaching at Yonsei University in 2013. His recent publications include “North Korea as Neighbor: Critical Scholarship on North Korea,” Korea Journal, 61-3 (autumn, 2021), “Christianity, the Cold War, and the Construction of the Republic of Korea,” Korea Journal, 60-4 (winter, 2020), and “Killer Fables: Yun Ch’i-ho, Bourgeois Enlightenment, and the Free Laborer,” Journal of Korean Studies, 25-1 (March, 2020). His book, The Great Enterprise: Sovereignty and Historiography in Modern Korea, was published by Duke University Press in 2013.
Henry’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Enterprise-Sovereignty-Historiography-Asia-Pacific/dp/0822353725
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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Jeon Seoyeon is a South Korean woman working towards becoming a landscape architect and focused on helping social minorities. We talk about the importance of kindness and how it can affect our lives. What modern feminism feels like in South Korea. And the reality of Korean education. During this, Seoyeon is able to draw on the ideas of Mark Fisher, Kwame Anthony Appiah, and even swear on occasion. I hope you enjoy this conversation and Sara's attitude to life as much as I did.
Conversation Outline
0:00 Introduction
2:08 Education and Suneung
33:20 Women and Feminism
53:50 Helping Social Minorities
1:26:51 Advice for Young People
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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Mark Peterson first arrived in Korea in 1965. He then completed a PhD at Harvard University. He is professor emeritus of Korean, Asian and Near Eastern languages at Brigham Young University in Utah. He has written countless books and now runs a popular YouTube channel on Korean history. Dr. Peterson has developed a strong understanding of the language and culture and used these to develop his own thoughts on Korean history.
This is a wide-ranging discussion addressing the past, the present, and the future. We discussed Korea's internal developments as well as its place in the wider world. There was respectful disagreement, shared laughter, and mutual respect throughout the conversation. I hope you find it as thought-provoking as I did.
Dr. Peterson's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/우물밖의개구리TheF...
Dr. Peterson's New Book: https://www.aladin.co.kr/shop/wproduc...
Discussion Outline
0:00 Korea in 1965
33:25 What is Confucianism?
46:17 Korea and China Relations
59:24 Slavery in Korea
1:17:00 Gregory Henderson
1:21:39 Confucianism in Modern Korea
1:45:36 Korean Language and Culture
1:51:26 Books on Korea
2:20:46 Korea as a Peaceful Nation
2:50:54 Advice for Young People
3:00:11 Fear of Death
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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Special thanks to Nic Teeny for the research on this episode
Lieutenant General Chun In-Bum (ret.) has played an important role in the history and development of South Korea. Now retired, his popular YouTube channel helps address contemporary issues facing the current generation as they prepare for or look back on their own mandatory military service.
At the age of 65, the General has seen and experienced more than many of us could imagine. This is an opportunity to listen to him talk about life, discipline, and the importance of freedom.
Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chun_In-bum
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/INBUMCHUN
Discussion Outline
BTS' Decision and Military Service
Mobile Phones in the Korean Military
Discipline
The Korean Army in Media (JSA, DP, Descendants of the Sun)
North Korea
The Korean Military on YouTube
Lessons on Life
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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Special thanks to Nic Teeny for the research on this episode
Youngwoo Park majors in Italian Area Studies and International Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. His fields of interest include human rights, development cooperation, and the sociology of gender and race. Youngwoo is currently working as a translator in the Department of Operations and Support for the Seoul Queer Culture Festival.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/youngwoo-park-419524214/?originalSubdomain=kr
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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Jumin Lee is a Korean trial attorney and former Air Force officer. He writes regularly for NK News and Korea Pro on Korean politics, with a recent focus on gender, discrimination, and protections of minorities in South Korea. We spoke at length about key issues in Korean politics, the problems facing both major parties, the struggles of the Justice Party, and revisited influential characters such as Kim Dae-jung and Kim Yong-sam.
You can find Jumin's work here: https://www.nknews.org/content_author/jumin-lee/
Or follow him here on Twitter: https://twitter.com/oldtype
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873 ▶ Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast... ▶ Listen on podcasts: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
This is a conversation about K-Dramas and mental health, covering Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Hometown Cha Cha Cha, Our Blues, Tomorrow, and much more. We talk about the romance, the beauty standards, the soundtracks, the coping mechanisms, and the international success.
Jeanie Chang is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a bestselling author on Amazon, an international corporate speaker, and a global social media influencer known as Noona's Noonchi
Find her online:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noonasnoonchi/?hl=en
Learn more about Jeanie Chang
Learn more about Noona's Noonchi
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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Chun Su-jin is a South Korean writer who is proud of her North Korean heritage. Born and raised in Seoul, Chun dreams of living in Pyongyang in a unifed Korea. She writes in both Korean and English and has covered the Presidential Office, the Foreign Ministry, and the Unification Ministry.
Su-jin has recently written and published a book called North Korean Women in Power: Daughters of the Sun which covers the four most powerful women in the country, detailing their personalities and proximity to power.
http://hollym.net/book/north-korean-women-in-power-daughters-of-the-sun/
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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Kim Yung Hee was found by the Yeongdeungpo-gu police on October 26, 1973. She has since found her biological father. Now she is looking for her biological mother whose name is Lee Geum Soon or Lee Geum Sook. Her father's nickname for her mother was "망고". She is about 75 years old. Her mother's hometown is Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do. In the early 1970s, her mother lived with her sister across from Shinhyeon Church in Daehyeon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.
Help Yung Hee find her family
Article: https://m.yna.co.kr/view/MYH20220704018300641 Website: https://www.umma4usa.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/umma4usa YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJtHPik6Wmu1mFX4NVdY5Iw Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/umma4usa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/umma4usa/ KakaoTalk: umma4usa Email: umma4usa@gmail.com Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard ▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr ▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873 ▶ Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard ▶ Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast... ▶ Listen online: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com... ▶ Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_desig... ▶ Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disoriental...
This is definitely a conversation in two parts. For the first hour, we talk about LGBTQ literature and poetry in South Korea, particularly the work of Kim Hyun. We ask what it means to write queer poetry, who the leading figures in South Korea are, and what this says about society changing over time with the rise of institutions like Ding Dong. There is also a focus on the newly-published English version of Glory Hole, a collection of queer poetry which Suhyun co-translated. We then shift gears and address the focus of his doctoral work: Confucian philosophy. Suhyun is interested in the epistemological debates in the field and whether knowledge and values are transcendental or of internal origins. He charts some of the debates over the centuries, up to and including contemporary Korean philosophy. I push back in some ways and ask about the enslavement of large swathes of the population and the patriarchal system some say Confucianism created. It was a great discussion as the rain poured down outside our windows.
Suhyun J. Ahn is a PhD candidate studying East Asian philosophy. When he is not researching, he translates Korean poetry. His works have appeared the award-winning documentary, Time to Read Poems. He recently translated Kim Hyun’s Glory Hole, the first Korean queer poetry collection. Until 2020, he was the founder and the editor-in-chief of Nabillera: Contemporary Korean Literature.
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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Recent shockwaves in the Korean crypto world have been caused by the crash of Luna and subsequent investigations into its founder Do Kwon. Hyun Joon (Andre) explains the Korean crypto world, the 'Kimchi Premium', Korean law and the reason foreigners are banned from the Korean crypto exchanges, the effects of the Luna crash, and the future of the industry.
Hyun Joon (Andre) Lee is a Business Development and Marketing Specialists at Mainblock, a South Korea based incubation and VC firm working with blockchain-based projects in the P2E, NFT, Metaverse and DeFi space. He started his cryptocurrency journey in 2017, by arbitraging the price discrepacy of cryptocurrencies between exchanges and is now focusing on Music NFTs, and Play2Earn projects.
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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Dr. MinJung (MJ) Doh is a US-licensed psychologist and the CEO of You&Me Psychological and Consulting Services (YPCS) in Seoul, Korea. Her specialties include Depression, Anxiety, Relationship Issues, Trauma, Eating Disorders, Identity Difficulties, Bereavement, Adjustment, Alcohol Use, Transracial Adoption, and Military Families.
This conversation is about counselling and mental health in Korea. MJ provided her opinions of the most common psychological problems in the country today, whether it points to a national malaise, and if such conditions are unique to Korean or part of a wider global trend. We also looked at the rising popularity of MBTI tests and increased use of medication here in Korea.
You&Me Psychological and Consulting Services: http://www.ypcskorea.com/
Dr. Doh Minjung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minjung-mj-doh-51399365/
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
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Lina Kwon is a TV/radio personality based in Seoul. She has hosted Arirang TV’s “Showbiz Korea,” EBS FM’s “Morning Special” and currently hosts Arirang Radio’s news magazine show “Good Morning Seoul.” During her career she has interviewed and worked with some of Korea's biggest stars.
We discussed the nature of fame and celebrity in South Korea. We also explored the media's role in all of this and how social media has affected both the way we consume information and the way we view others' lives. Lina also talks about the challenges of being a woman in the industry, particularly in terms of unequal pay and a glass ceiling.
Find her every morning from 7am - 9am here: http://www.arirang.com/Radio/Radio_Ho... Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
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Kyungyeon (Kay) Park is an 18-year-old Korean high school student. She has won competitions in the National Student Heritage Commentating Contest (전국학생문화유산외국어해설 텐츠대회) and been recognized by the National Council of Youth Organization in Korea (한국청소년단체협의회). She is also in the process of writing a book on aspects of Korean history. Alongside her studies, she works as a tour guide in Seoul at some of the country's most important historic sites. There she provides information and insight to visitors to South Korea.
We spoke about identity, Korean culture, nunchi, history, Seodaemun Prison, the country's palaces, Korean independence, international relations, and much more.
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
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▶ Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disoriental...
Sihoon Baek is a phenomenon. We spoke about Generation Z, their values, their interests, and fears as well how this plays out across technology. We also spoke about one of his great passions: politics and social issues. Despite the growing complexity of political discourse, Sihoon is able to explain and analyze what takes place in South Korea from a very real perspective and cognizant of the effect that social media has on discourse and narratives. We chatted for more than 3 hours yet there was still much more to be said. And oh yeah, he’s seventeen! Sihoon Baek’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sihoon-baek-62744a1b6/
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard
Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128?l=en
Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/spotify
Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_design/?hl=en
Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/?hl=en
This is a conversation which explores the concept of “han” (한/恨) – something previously ubiquitous in Korean literature and western writing about the country but which Dr. Kang challenges. He argues that Koreans are being condemned to passive suffering and then manifesting that through a perceived essentialist concept which is believed unique to them. He points to its destructive nature as well as the damaging effects on gender relations and women in society. Instead, he draws on the reality of what “han” is as well as its origins while also acknowledging the scars, suffering, and inter-generational trauma that many have faced. He also addresses how elements of the Korean diaspora might have reclaimed the term in a different setting. From there, we looked at intellectual history and the creation of myths more broadly and how this applies to Korea. Minsoo is a charismatic, engaging, and honest speaker. We stopped after 3 hours but it could’ve been much longer.
Discussion Outline
0:00 What is ‘han’?
36:44 The connection between han and history
51:17 Seopyeonjae and han
1:04:38 Gender and han
2:12:41 Do we have free will?
2:35:16 What is the meaning of life?
Dr. Minsoo Kan Against Han: https://aeon.co/essays/against-han-or-why-koreans-are-not-defined-by-sadness
The Story of Hong Gildong: https://www.amazon.com/Story-Hong-Gildong-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143107690
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minsoo_Kang
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
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▶ Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disoriental...
Wooseok Ki is the author of K-POP: The Odyssey - Your Gateway to the Global K-Pop Phenomenon and a NYC-based corporate lawyer focusing his practice on blockchain and technology. He is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania Law School and UC Berkeley, and has been featured in The Korea Times, Korea Daily, and NBCLX.
If you are interested in K-pop or Korean hip-hop, this conversation takes a journey through the following artists: Epik High, Twice, Ahn Ye-Eun, Eric Nam, Dean, Crush, Justthis, Bloo, Homies, Seonmi, Chung Ha, 88rising, BTS, Snoop, Seotaeji, Cho Young Pil, Big Bang, and G-Dragon. Really enjoyed listening to Wooseok’s take on music. The exploration of NFT technology, which stars are using it, and how fans are reacting was particularly enlightening for an old dude like me.
Wooseok's Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PW3MLPN/
Instagram: instagram.com/wooskiworks
Twitter: twitter.com/wooskiworks
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wk810/
Article: https://news.koreadaily.com/2021/01/20/society/generalsociety/9024924.html
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard
Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128?l=en
Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/spotify
Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_design/?hl=en
Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/?hl=en
Beth is a writer and translator whose roots are in Seoul and Vancouver, Canada. She is currently a copy editor at The Korea Herald, where she also co-hosts a Korean books and culture podcast.
This is a conversation about Korean literature and feminism as well as the interaction between the two. Beth describes the ways in which the lived experiences of Korean women has manifested in writing and how generational trauma can be communicated through art. Today, Korean authors are winning international prizes and critical acclaim. Much of this success has been driven by women and stories revolving around their lives. We explored the work of Han Kang (한강), Cho Nam-joo’s Kim Ji-young: Born 1982, Park Wan-suh (박완서), Oh Jung-hee (오정희), Kim Chi-won (김지원) and more. This is a broad and wide-ranging discussion that moves beyond writing and into deeper questions about what it means to be human. Literature here is seen a medium through which the oppressed in society can find their authentic voice and transcend/break the avatar they have constructed for daily survival.
Beth's Work
Beth’s linktree: https://linktr.ee/betheunhee
Translations: https://nabillerakorea.com/?s=beth+hong
Korean Women’s Fiction Book Review: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220224000105
International Women’s Day podcast episode: https://youtu.be/ZPPz3J1PFe8
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard
Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128?l=en
Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/spotify
Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_design/?hl=en
Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/?hl=en
Yunjeong Hwang is an English-speaking lawyer and provides legal services in Korea. She runs Lawyer Hwang Law Office and legal services cover civil, criminal and family cases, and international divorce cases.
We spoke about the culture and law of divorce in Korea. This includes issues related to adultery, compensation, custody, visas, and differences between judicial divorce and divorce by agreement. We then spoke about law more broadly including the defamation law, lenient punishment for sexual crimes, and the intersection between law and politics.
Ms. Yunjeong Hwang ▼▼▼
Website: https://lawyerhwang.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2t-...
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
▶ Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
▶ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
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Dr. Bong Youngshik holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in political science from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from Yonsei University. He is a Research Fellow at the Yonsei University Institute for North Korean Studies
Dr. Bong is positive about Korea’s democracy, the role of youth, and the possibilities for the future. He also interesting observations about human nature and political action. Our conversation was about the recent South Korean presidential election. Dr. Bong explained who president-elect Yoon Seok-yeol is and why he has built a reputation for fairness and justice in South Korean society, including the investigations into former Jsutice Minister Cho Kuk and two ex-Presidents, Park Geun-hye and Lee Myoung-bak. He then criticizes elements of Yoon’s victory which focused on a divisive approach to gender. He offered insight as to Ahn Chul-soo’s possible future and why his unification with Yoon nearly backfired. He also looked at the Justice Party and Sim Sang-jung’s poor performance and gave reasons for this. Finally, we looked at what the Conservative Party’s victory says about President Moon’s legacy.
Dr. Bong Youngshik
ROK and US Views on the Foreign Policy of the Abe Administration
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/youngshik-bong-b2404318/?originalSubdomain=kr
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard
Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128?l=en
Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_design/?hl=en
Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/?hl=en
Dr. Sojin Lim is a Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor, Course Leader for both MA North Korean Studies and MA Asia Pacific Studies, and Co-Director of the International Institute of Korean Studies (IKSU) at the University of Central Lancashire. She works as Co-Editor of the ‘Routledge Research on Korea’ series and is also one of the Editors-in-Chief at Asia Pacific Viewpoint (Wiley). She is the author of articles and book chapters on sustainable development, public policy and political economy. She recently published a co-edited book Routledge Handbook of Contemporary South Korea (2021). She frequently discusses changes in the Korea Peninsula in media interviews, such as appearing on BBC.
Our conversation was about South Korea’s economic and societal development. It was enriched by Sojin’s many personal recollections of growing up in a country that was fighting authoritarian rule. We discussed what “the miracle on the Han River” actually means and how the “new village movement” affected the people of South Korea. We looked at foreign aid and the effectiveness of neo-liberal policies. We also questioned the role of culture in all of this. More broadly we explored the idea of altruism, aid, and gift-giving. We then discussed North Korea and whether aid or sanctions are the most effective policies for what Sojin sees as a fragile state. Finally, we looked at the field of Korean Studies more broadly and how the discipline is changing over time.
Dr. Sojin Lim’s Recent Publications
Website: https://www.uclan.ac.uk/academics/dr-sojin-lim
“South korean Popular Culture in the Global Context: Beyond the Fandom,” Routledge (edited) (2022)
“Routledge Handbook of Contemporary South Korea”, Routledge (co-edited) (2021)
“Assessing the Landscape of Taiwan and Korean Studies in Comparison,” BRILL (co-edited) (2021)
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
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Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128?l=en
Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/
Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_design/?hl=en
Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/?hl=en
Subin Kim is a writer, translator, and journalist. His work currently appears in Al Jazeera and he’s previously been associated with the BBC and NK News. He’s a self-described serf and a lover of pigs.
Our conversation started with understanding what webtoons actually are and who reads them. We discussed the popular webtoon Miaseng (미생) and how a lot of content seems to be based on daily life and people’s ordinary struggles. Subin told me about the relationship between webtoons and portal sites. Gang Full (강풀)’s 2003 Soonjung Manhwa was the first webtoon to achieve great success and from there we looked at popular modern stars such as Yaongyi (야옹이). Subin recommends Damage Over Time as a webtoon that would make a great Netflix adaption. We then talk about the future in terms of whether they will become more interactive, and if they can achieve international success like K-pop and K-dramas.
Subin’s website: https://subin.kim/
Subin’s writing on webtoons for Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/1/31/korean-webtoons
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SubinBKim
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard
Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128?l=en
Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/spotify
Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_design/?hl=en
Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/?hl=en
Seohyun Lee was born and raised in central Pyongyang, North Korea. She went to China to study when she was a sophomore at Kim Il Sung University and earned her bachelor’s degree of Science in Finance from Dongbei University of Economics and Finance in 2014. She defected from North Korea in October 2014 during a heightened period of brutal purges by the Kim Jong Un regime. With her long- term vision to build a liberal democratic system and bring freedom in North Korea, she pursues further graduate studies an currently runs a YouTube channel ‘Pyonghattan’ with her brother.
Our conversation started with language and Seohyun made it clear that rather than being called a defector or escapee, she prefers the term North Korean freedom seeker. She had done nothing wrong before leaving her country and wants to find a term that best encapsulates that sense of innocence and positivity. She spoke about her childhood in North Korea: what toys she had, what games she played, and what school was like. She also recounted the pressures of trying to stay warm in the country during the cold winters. She explained dating culture in North Korea, shopping, drinking, and the dangers of watching South Korean content. In terms of politics, Seohyun finds problems with the theocratic leadership in North Korea rather than the citizens. She paints a picture of what socialism means in the country in day-to-day life and describes the misconceptions and misunderstandings that many have about the country. Finally, she gave us her views on life, its meaning, and what the future holds.
Pyonghattan YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Pyonghattan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Pyonghattan
Why I Left North Korea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5AoG...
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
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Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast...
Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com...
Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_desig...
Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disoriental...
Se-Woong Koo is founder of Korea Exposé. Before joining the media world, Koo earned his PhD from Stanford University for a dissertation examining the intersection of politics and religion in modern Korea. He was a postdoctoral research fellow at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris, France, from 2012 to 2013; and he taught at the Asian University for Women and at Yale University as Henry Hart Rice Foundation Faculty Fellow and Lecturer.
We talked about the foundation of modern Korea and the role religion as a belief system has played in the country’s development. We then discussed the South Korean domestic journalism scene, focusing on ethical problems as well as well as where various outlets sit in the political spectrum. During our discussion, Se-Woong pointed to the construction and reinforcement of ‘grand narratives’ that reify rather than challenge the status quo. The Korea Exposé was founded by Se-Woong to challenge the continued inadequacy of a lot of western reporting on the country. It also positioned itself to the left, addressing issues of social justice and inequality. On particular topics, Se-Woong shared his thoughts on anti-Chinese sentiment, freedom of speech vis-à-vis North Korea, the danger of transgressing historical norms through Korean dramas, social justice in cultural products, and economic inequality. He finished by offering his thoughts on how journalism on Korea can improve. As always, the last question we tackled was the notion of what gives life meaning.
The Korea Expose: https://koreaexpose.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KoreaExpose Words that Defined Korea in 2021: https://koreaexpose.com/defining-word... Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873 Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast... Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com... Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_desig... Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disoriental...
Regina Kim is a Culture and Trends Writer for Netflix. Her articles on the hallyu phenomenon and Korean content have appeared in Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Vanity Fair, ELLE, MTV News, Vulture, Entertainment Weekly, NBC News, and Teen Vogue. They also include an interview with Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk. We talked about what it feels like to be writing about Korean content while it is so popular. Because Regina works for Netflix, we talked about distribution, algorithms, and access to the latest Korean dramas. From there, we look at what constitutes a Korean drama and whether there are any that people might be sleeping on. After that, it was K-pop, NFTs, and metaverses; what was her track of the year; and why are idol groups more popular internationally than acts like IU or AKMU. Finally, we looked at her work on anti-Asian racism. Her pieces on this struck a chord with many, suggesting that if one is to stan Korean content, there is also a responsibility to stand up against anti-Asian behavior. The conservation closes with Regina’s thoughts on the future and the meaning of life. Netflix Tudum: https://www.netflix.com/tudum
Regina’s website: reginakim.com
The K-Drama Renaissance: https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a37293494/korean-drama-renaissance-explained/
K-Pop Artists: https://www.elle.com/culture/music/g38302910/best-k-pop-artists-if-you-love-bts-blackpink/
Anti-Asian Racism: https://www.elle.com/life-love/a36411959/stop-aapi-hate-k-pop/
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard
Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128?l=en
Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/spotify
Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_design/?hl=en
Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/?hl=en
Becky White is a model, a singer, a podcast host, a writer, and countless other things. She is also the daughter of a Korean mother and an American father. Drawing on her own experiences growing up and then living and working in Korea, she created The Halfie Project: a journey to discover the meaning of a mixed identity - an identity which inhabits two cultures. We talk about what it means to be Korean, what she learned from the Halfie Project, and the nature of beauty and appearance in Korean society
The Halfie Project: https://www.thehalfieproject.com/ Podcast: https://www.thehalfieproject.com/halfieprojectpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehalfieproject/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheHalfieProject
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidTizzard
Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/co/podcast/korea-deconstructed/id1587269128?l=en
Listen on Spotify: https://koreadeconstructed.libsyn.com/spotify
Artwork: Chan https://www.instagram.com/chans_design/
Music: disorientalz https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/
Video: Dan www.nongrataproductions.com
Lee Taewoong is a producer for KBS, holding a position in the sports bureau since 2003. After his initial feature lengths explorations of ssiruem, football, and archery, he soon turned to more historic, social, and cultural work. His hugely successfully and acclaimed documentary 88/18 depicted the real life experiences of Korean people as they prepared for the Olympics, from the President, to middle-class aspirants, leftists protestors, and school children. This approach to covering Korean society as it actually existed was continued in the series Modern Korea – a multipart documentary based on Taewoong’s signature style of archival footage, music, and narrative-less full-length features. I sometimes compare his work to Adam Curtis’ and believe much of what he has done is better than most Korean history books out there.
88/18 Documentary: https://youtu.be/cS-MZlwLqYQ
Ssireum Documentary: https://youtu.be/pK-rDB7PliM
1968 - 싸우면서 건설한다: https://youtu.be/WnGZQhA-mAg
Modern Korea Documentary: https://modernkorea.wordpress.com/
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=62047873
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Dr. Jungmin Kwon is an assistant professor of digital culture and film studies in the School of Film at Portland State University. Her research and teaching interests include digital culture, film and media, gender and sexuality, media industry, fans and audiences, media celebrity, and Korean/East Asian popular culture. She is the author of Straight Korean Female Fans and Their Gay Fantasies (2019, University of Iowa Press). Currently, Dr. Kwon is writing her second book, titled The (In)Visibility Dilemma: Queer Media Cultures and Voices in Contemporary South Korea.
Jungmin’s book: https://www.uipress.uiowa.edu/books/9...
Jungmin’s recent research: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapter...
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
Get in touch: datizzard@swu.ac.kr
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Growing up, Sylvia rejected her Korean identity and it took her decades to come to terms with it. Her attitude changed when she began writing and researching the tragedy of sexual slavery, particularly that carried out by the Japanese in Korea. She discovered generational pain: something passed down, unresolved. Something, she says, that might be “han”.
A Long Road to Justice: Stories from the Frontlines in Asia is her new book published by Penguin. It explores the stories and memories of women across the continent who suffered unspeakable acts and then seeks to shine a light of compassion on their lives. Based on the time she spent with these women, Sylvia believes there are political solutions that must be sought. Moreover, history must be explored and contended with, despite what bitterness might arise. But for us as individuals, we have a responsibility to be informed and give back to our society, particularly at the local level.
"...I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
If you’ve ever tried to learn Korean, there’s a really strong chance you did so by listening to Hyunwoo. The founder of Talk To Me In Korean, he has become a leading figure in the language learning community thanks to his books, podcasts, and videos. He shared his thoughts on the Korean language and how hierarchy and democracy plays into all of this, particularly with age and honorific systems. Hyunwoo also talks about the language itself, in terms of its relative ease, focus on verbs, and lack of pronouns. He suggests that despite the boom in Hallyu worldwide, the Korean language learning community has not experienced too many crossover effects yet, but that they might be coming soon. We also discuss the Talk To Me In Korean community with its millions of subscribers worldwide, the way people study, the joy it brings him, and the changing nature of his celebrity and public image amidst all this.
Hallyu is not a sudden phenomenon, Dr. Lee says. It’s been an international culture since the 1990s. But from about the 2010s, enjoying Korean popular culture for non-Asians has become a new trend in cyberspace. This means Korean popularity is closely connected to technological changes in the media environment and industry. The two are interdependent. Despite the earlier popularity of Japanese cultural products, the promotion strategies used then were not very effective and there was not a concerted effort at spreading it to the rest of Asia. Locally, Dr. Lee talks of how one of his friends at high school was punished for playing a Japanese song at lunchtime.
Eventually, economic difficulties domestically pushed Korean cultural products outside of the country and seeking new markets. China’s change from communism to capitalism provided a very fortuitous suitable landing pad for many of these products. In Korea, Dr. Lee suggests K-pop is normally considered music for teenagers. There is a social consensus that it is not really appropriate as a genre for people in their 20s. Thus, many people stop listening to it (or perhaps hide their interest) due to cultural conventions. However, international fans are not affected by such attitudes. Conversely, for them, the more knowledge and depth of understanding they show of K-pop, the trendier they are seen. K-pop can also serve as a gateway into other genres. For international fans, K-pop is not mainstream. Instead it speaks to minority and alternative cultures.
For Dr. Lee, K-pop should not just be understood as music: it is related to fashion, fan relationships, videos, and choreography. The fans now believe they are responsible for the artists’ success. Thus they expect the idols and entertainment agencies to listen to their requests and desires. However, that democratic culture of fan-led artists is slowly being consumed by capitalism and the entertainment industry like punk and hip-hop were in the past. Moreover, despite K-pop being apolitical in nature, it’s been used by the Democratic Party in the United States. Musicians and entertainment companies are aware of this politicization and it has become necessary for them to follow the trend and remain loyal to their fans.
Dr. Lee finishes by questioning what will happen to Hallyu going forward if it continues to internationalize. If the only thing remaining is the Korean ethnicity of the performers, then what will this mean for the culture industry and, more importantly, Korean identity in general. Can a balance be found?
Jinu sees himself as a humble musician who focuses on providing solidarity to those suffering from oppression, violence, and health problems. He describes having seen firsthand young hired thugs (‘용역’) and police carry out acts of violence against the workers of Noryangjin fish market in central Seoul, workers who are often elderly women. They are decent people, citizens of Seoul who enjoy trot music, television dramas, and living the lives they have. Yet water cannons and excavators are used to forcibly move those who don’t agree with the plans to relocate the workers of the fish market.
The new fish market into which the vendors are expected to move is described as a collusion between government and large financial enterprises. No longer a public market supported by officials and taxpayers’ money to provide quality goods at reasonable prices, the responsibility has been left to capitalist enterprises.
This could just be understood as a normal story about capitalism and gentrification to which we are becoming ever accustomed. A process in which we tear down the old and create newer, smaller, and more expensive places. The tragedy is that this removes stories, characters, and traditions, and then substitutes them for lifeless, cookie-cutter objects that do not speak to us on a human level much of the time—devoid of soul, alienated from reality. But if it was just that, many could provide rational and logical arguments about capitalism, profit, modernity, and such forth. What does seem inexcusable, however, is the violence that takes place to make this happen.
Chan is an artist and a friend. She is 100% Korean in terms of nationality but has at times distanced herself from this identity. Her friends call her a 외국인 (foreigner) but she identifies as a TCK (third culture kid). She has often tried to look different from other people and loves standing out, avoiding clichés and stereotypes where possible. In Korea she has received lots of comments on her tanned skin and found it difficult to find cosmetics that suit her. Looking forward, she wants to be in a place where she is treated equally, regardless of social position.
She talks about the vibe and aura emitted by other TCKs, the mutual understanding and the open body language that results. She has found a great sense of community in touch rugby. She closes our chat with hopes that TCKs can be proud of who they are and seeks to challenge the negative portrayal of TCKs having privileges from studying abroad and receiving easier access to the country’s top universities. She wants to reduce alienation. And she hopes people will stop asking TCKs to speak English as a party trick. But, on top of all this, she has a positive outlook for the future.
Jasmine Lee came to South Korea in the 1990s. Here she talks of her early experiences with South Korean culture, people, and language. This leads to ideas of multiculturalism, family, identity, and nationalism. Jasmine became a nationalized Korean but still found trouble in terms of acceptance despite speaking the language fluently and having a Korean passport. After a successful television and media career, she made her way into politics and became the first non-ethnic Korean lawmaker in the national assembly. She worked first with the ruling conservative party and then more recently the Justice Party. Despite her efforts, she feels a lot of government efforts and policies were simply adopted because they were trendy rather than geared towards long-term sustainable success. She also sees a lot of stagnation and hesitancy in adopting policies to safeguard the lives of minorities in Korea because it’s not politically expedient and the main parties are generally in agreement over them.
Jae Chong grew up the son of first generation Korean immigrant parents in California listening to Ozzy Osbourne and Van Halen. An early experience with Jeff Buckley pushed him further towards music and he was soon playing guitar, drums, bass, and piano. He sent an album recorded on a 4-track in his bedroom over to Korea in the early 1990s and started down a path that would see him play a revolutionary role in the modern Korean music scene. Jae wrote and produced all the music for his group Solid and their 1995 second album, with hits such as 이밤의 끝을 잡고, was pivotal in introducing R&B to Korea and sold millions. He describes the experience as being “too Asian for America and too American for Asia”, being the first Korean-Americans seen on domestic television, as well as the difficulty in getting any dance music on the screen in the early 90s. Jae spent time working and learning from masters 김형석 and 신승훈, understanding the 응착 in Korean music and a work ethic to write and produce at the top level. Jae talks of his respect for 서태지 and other OGs in the Korean music scene that introduced previously unheard music to the country and how the media played his group Solid (솔리드) and 서태지 off of each other. Korean entertainment companies looked to Jae for the equipment he used and the sounds he was making, hoping to emulate his success. One of my favourite songs in his discography, Boa’s 1999 Let U Go, Jae doesn’t even remember writing! He speaks of his affection for the Solid fanbase and the support they showed during their 2018 comeback album and hopes that K-pop will continue going from strength to strength and develop more depth to its sounds.
Jungahn Yu was a young ballet dancer who found herself in the K-pop industry from the age of 15. After completing her training, she debuted as the rapper in Momoland under the name Daisy. Huge success followed but she eventually left the industry and went to university.
She talks about auditions, training, fans, diets, mental health, creativity, and more
Bori (he/him) is a Korean leftist with visions of a pan-Asian communist future. During our conversation he suggests that despite people’s aspirations for an independent nation, South Korea was built on the basis on anti-communism and remains today under a bourgeois dictatorship. This then affects what it means to be a leftist in 21st century Korea and how the experience is often characterized by a sense of 불화 (discord). Despite the recent popularity of things like Squid Game, Bori asserts that no one willing to actively solve the problem of economic inequality is a serious contender for the upcoming presidency and that Lee Jae-myung is not a progressive candidate in any sense of the word. He holds that male-dominated political spaces are not the way forward because they create a sense of isolation; instead, social justice for various oppressed minorities in South Korea should be sought. How one becomes a leftist in Korea can depend on university and seniors promoting justice and resistance. We then discussed the contradiction that communist and Marxist thought often has starting points in the nation’s elite universities. On violence in society, the Molotov cocktail only began disappearing in the early 2000s, so we talk about the moral implications of violence and change. Bori sees the 1980s as a time of leftist revival in South Korea and stressed the importance of Kang Kyong-dae’s death in 1991. We talked about the recent KCTU labour protests, lack of media coverage, and arrest of Yang Kyeung-soo. For him, patriotism and nationalism are to be understood in terms of anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism: solidarity in the negative sense, that comes from resisting larger structures of power and dominance. Bori says the Korean War was a civil war which should not be seen as a simple act of North Korean aggression. North Korea suffers from a great deal of international propaganda and being ‘othered’ by the media. In that sense, there should be more cultural and personal exchange and recognition of North Korea’s legitimacy in that part of the Korean Peninsula. Internationalism is not a utopian ideal but a practical necessity to prevent state-led war.
Find Bori's work at @platformck and @redstaroverasia
Korea Deconstructed by David Tizzard
Artwork: Chan (https://www.instagram.com/chans_design/)
Music: DisorientalZ (https://www.instagram.com/disorientalz/)
Haley Yang is a culture reporter at the Korea JoongAng Daily specializing in K-pop, Korean society and multiculturalism. She was also a big fan of K-pop growing up.
She spoke to me about how K-pop began to find its own unique style following the break from J-pop in 2007, the effects of Big Bang on the music scene as OG gender benders despite some of them later being involved in crime rings, and K-pop as a niche musical element inside Korea. Haley also called the fetishization of K-pop idols by international fans the elephant in the room and the subsequent loyalty shown to idols as being the result of the artists replaceability rather than any unique talents. She also drew attention to fan chat services by companies such as SM which encourage parasocial relationships between the fans and the stars.
In terms of media reporting, the race for YouTube views is described by Haley as a pissing contest among fans and this is causing platforms to reassess how they measure songs' real popularity. She also explains how a throwaway line on Gag Concert about TVXQ became a turning point for fans' album purchases.
The conversation ends on the subject of mental health, suicide, and social values in the entertainment industry and society more broadly as well as where one can find positivity and hope in K-pop.
*I wish the audio of this chat was a bit better because I learned a lot listening to Haley and gained some new perspectives
Heejeon Kim has worked in the Korean movie and television industry as a distributor and producer. Here she offers her own personal opinions on how she survived the toxic masculinity that characterized the early chapters of her career, the Korean film renaissance and why it took place, and the dark nature of Korean movies. She also addresses concepts of identity and what it means to be a Korean amidst all the current success as well as bicultural awareness and the need for TCKs to tell their stories. The main message she focuses on is that authentic local experiences can have global appeal. The conversation closes with some thoughts on Squid Game and the positive and negative reactions to it as well as the subtitles issues.
In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, Kwak Yong-hwan, a certified medical doctor at Soonchunhyang University Hospital, discusses the changing trends in Korean health over time. He also explains how the current system, which benefits the customers and citizens, is based on prices set by the government which often cause hardships for doctors. The result of this is that more and more medical professionals are leaving healthcare and venturing into the aesthetic industry to make more money.
Beyond this, he discusses the politics of alternative traditional medicine before going on to suggest what he believes are the most important reasons behind Korea's relatively successful attempts at combating the Covid-19 pandemic.
The conversation ends with his views on the popular local medical drama Hospital Playlist and how closely it resembles real life.
In this episode of Korea Deconstructed, Kyungeun Lee discusses how the Korean government allowed adoption to be operated as a private system until 2012, giving its newly-born children no state protections and denying them their human rights. This resulted in 200,000 young Korean children, often under the age of 1, being sent abroad.
Truth, justice, and reconciliation are required, but is Korean society ready to do it?